Barbierbeek hiking route

The newly constructed ring dike protects the residential areas of Kruibeke, Bazel and Rupelmonde and ensures that incoming Scheldt water remains within the limits of the controlled flood plain. The 6-kilometer-long water barrier also forms the boundary of the area. The ring dike was constructed from soil sourced from the former polders of Kruibeke, Bazel and Rupelmonde, the Scheldt, the excavation of the Deurganck dock and the excavation of the Ketenisse polder. An adjacent tarmac towpath invites cyclists away from all the traffic between Kruibeke, Bazel and Rupelmonde.

On the Scheldelei, an imposing presence towers above the polder landscape. The wooden giant CosmoGolem was designed by artist Koen Van Mechelen, who created the colossus back in 1986. The artwork symbolises universal children's rights. More than 30 Golems are spread throughout the world, but at 6 metres, the one in Kruibeke is the tallest. In 2014, the giant was transported by ship to its final destination. Students at schools in Kruibeke were tasked with decorating the Golem's arms with colourful motifs, and entrusting their wishes, dreams and messages for the world through a hatch to his heart.

The tranquillity of the polder area is a sharp contrast with the industrial activity across the Scheldt River. One gigantic site stands out in particular. Today the company Smulders Projects produces wind turbines there; it used to be a thriving shipyard under the banner of Cockerill Yards, which in its heyday employed more than 3,000 shipbuilders.

There are three creeks in the polder area: the Kruibeekse Creek, the Bazel Creek and the Rupelmonde Creek. They were created after the great floods of 3 March 1715, and today provide for a pleasant variation in the landscape. The Kruibeke Creek used to be particularly popular with fishermen. Around 50 years ago, you could buy a day pass for five francs. Unfortunately, the poor water quality in the Barbierbeek put an end to that. Now that the Scheldt water floods the area twice a day, the fresh water in the creek - and therefore also the vegetation - changes composition. It's still possible to fish in the Bazel Creek and the Kortbroek.

The Barbierbeek rises in Sint-Niklaas and for many years formed the natural border between the villages of Kruibeke and Bazel. The watercourse flowed right through the polders and emptied into the Scheldt via the Kruibeke Creek. In heavy rainfall, the brook often burst its banks, causing severe flooding in the past. When the flood plain was built, the Barbierbeek was given a new, wider bed. A reservoir on the edge of Bazel directs the water through pipes inside the ring dike, where the Barbierbeek carries it through the polder via the drainage structure in Kruibeke to the Scheldt.