Bever cycling route

Hemiksem is only a stone's throw from Antwerp. Since 2017, DeWaterbus has been providing a direct service to the great City of the Scheldt, with a stopover in Kruibeke. Hundreds of commuters use the route across the water every day, but numerous tourists also take DeWaterbus for a trip to the Polders of Kruibeke. Added bonus: the bike can simply come with you on the boat. That means you can be at the starting point of the route in a few minutes from Antwerp. 

In the mid-12th century, the Counts of Flanders built a toll office on the Brabant side of the Scheldt and Rupel. All the boats had to moor up there to pay tolls. Next to the toll house was a small skipper's chapel. The skippers' families could go ashore for a while to pray there. The buildings are still there and have been beautifully restored. The chapel has been transformed into tavern Oud Tolhuis ('Old Tollhouse'), which along with tavern Tolhuis Veer ('Tollhouse Ferry') provides a pleasant resting place for the numerous cyclists and hikers who pass through. The original ferry across the Rupel was a hundred metres ahead and was one of the oldest private ferries in the country. The last ferryman pulled the boat ashore there half a century ago. Not until 2002 was ferry service restarted between the two shores.

The dead straight Notelaerdreef leads you right through Oudbroek-Schelland Polder, which is being established as a Sigma area. During storm tides, the polder will collect water to spare the residential areas behind it. The poplar forests there are giving way to natural swamp forests, with trees that like to have their feet in the water. The pavilion De Notelaer was originally part of the castle estate. The noble family went there to dine or to receive guests. There was also a skipper's house and an inn for the people. Since 1968, it has been protected as a monument. There is an extensive annual programme of exhibitions, walks and concerts. Also be sure to stop for a piece of Notelaer cake made with cocoa, cinnamon and nuts.

The Schouselbroek was embanked in the 13th century at the request of St Peter's Abbey in Ghent and was one of the first polders along the Scheldt. There are several 'wheels' or ponds in the area that were eroded by the swirling Scheldt water when the dykes broke.

As part of the Sigma Plan, the Schouselbroek is being converted into a controlled flood plain to hold water during extremely high tides. Thanks to the play of ebb and flow, the area of nature will develop into some valuable mudflats and salt marshes.

Due to their large water storage capacity, the Polders of Kruibeke are an important link in the chain of floodplains along the Scheldt. As the area becomes operational, the pressure on the dykes decreases further inland. In some places, mudflats and salt marshes regain their freedom. Elsewhere, some hard work has been done to restore some rare alder carr forests. This creates an ideal habitat for a great many vulnerable plant and animal species. Several years ago, the beaver returned to the area, and the osprey also received an invitation in the post. Cycling and walking on the newly constructed infrastructure in the Polders of Kruibeke is great. The route will lead you via the Rupelmonde Creek and the newly constructed Ring Dyke around the area to the Kallebeek Ferry between Basel and Hemiksem.