Eeklo: Cultural Heritage, Art Walks and Nature Trails

Eeklo combines distinctive architectural history with art walks, nature trails and special cultural heritage sites. Those planning a trip with different ideas for each day will find both historical themes and routes through forests and natural areas here. When looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home in Eeklo, you can therefore first consider whether your trip should focus more on urban history, walking, cycling or nature observation.

Cultural Heritage between the Town Hall and Churches

One prominent building is the Belfry of Eeklo. It was added to the town hall, which dates back to 1240, in 1932 and is considered the youngest belfry on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Eeklo Town Hall was protected as a monument in 1943. Its history goes back even further: Eeklo’s first town hall was built shortly after the town was granted city rights in 1240.

Important for trip planning: the belfry is not open to the public. It is therefore suitable as a historical landmark, not as a confirmed destination for an interior visit. The Sint-Vincentius Church is a Neo-Gothic brick church from the last quarter of the 19th century and contains an elaborately executed Neo-Gothic interior. The Karel-Stroo-ErfgoedApp audio tour provides information about the cultural heritage and secrets of this Sint-Vincentius Martyr Church in Eeklo through eyewitness accounts and tasks.

The Neo-Gothic Paterskerk, also known as the Minderbroederskerk, is a former church building from the third quarter of the 19th century. It cannot be visited for safety reasons. The Huysmanhoeve adds another cultural highlight: it is a regional cultural heritage centre and a special cultural heritage site in the Meetjesland.

Art Walks and Routes through Eeklo

Several activities bring the city’s history to life through routes and apps. The art walk Eeklose Meesters is 2 kilometres long, takes around 30 minutes and starts at the Jeneverhuis on Van Hoorebekeplein. It passes the homes of artists from Eeklo. The Romain Coemelck heritage walk explores the life of the visual artist Romain Coemelck. The Staf Pyl heritage app walk passes works by the stained-glass artist Staf Pyl.

Those who first want to explore Eeklo as a city can plan the 10,000 Steps city walk. It leads through the centre of Eeklo and past some of the city’s most beautiful places. Another route idea is the Meetjeslandse Café walking route: it is 10 kilometres long and starts and ends at Eeklo’s market square. From April to October, the boekenmarkt of Eeklo also takes place there on Herbakkersplein on the first Saturday of every month.

Nature Trails, Forest and Cycling Plans

For longer excursions, the Stoktevijver and Het Leen walking route is a good option. It is 14 kilometres long, starts in the Het Leen provincial domain at Gentsesteenweg 80 in Eeklo and leads through nature to Stoktevijver in Zomergem. The Het Leen provincial domain lies partly in Eeklo, but predominantly in Lievegem. You should take this geographical division into account when planning an excursion.

A shorter themed trail is the Fladderpad in Sint-Jansbos, which is 1 kilometre long. On Moseikdreef, you can walk among pedunculate oaks and poplars. The area is home to, among others, great spotted woodpeckers, buzzards, goshawks, numerous songbird species, little owls, tawny owls and roe deer. Moseikdreef is a new natural area for Eeklo and complements the city’s cultural routes with a nature-focused experience.

There are also specific options for a cycling trip: in Eeklo, Blue-bikes can be rented at the Hoppinpunt Zeelaan, at the Hoppinpunt Station and at the market square. The Galgenhof bivouac zone lies directly on the Meetjesland cycling network, exactly halfway between junctions 94 and 96. When choosing your accommodation, you can use these different travel ideas as a guide and decide whether you want to focus your days more on historical sites, signposted walks, nature or cycling excursions.

More Places for Your Trip Planning

If you would like to compare other places in addition to Eeklo, you can also find Waasmunster, Maldegem, Sint-Laureins, Destelbergen, Deinze, Hoegaarden, Buggenhout and Knesselare.

For the higher-level travel overview: East Flanders.