Parike: Discover Culture, Landscapes and Trails

Parike is a place for travellers who want to combine culture, traces of traditional landscapes and physical activity. Between fields and along small paths, the “Tussen Parike en Deftinge” hiking route runs from Deftinge to Parike and back. There are also distinctive buildings, a special boundary marker, a historic spring festival and a cycling café. This allows you to shape your stay around different interests: focusing on local history, spending your days hiking or combining both.

Architectural heritage and historic sites in Parike

An important landmark is the Sint-Lambertus parish church in Parike. It has been listed as a protected monument since 21 September 1962 and remains protected today. Anyone interested in ecclesiastical heritage and the historical development of a place will find a tangible reference point here for exploring Parike.

Hof ter Planken also forms part of the historic character of the village. The farmstead was recorded in 1571 as property of Ghent’s Sint-Pieters Abbey. At the same time, the historic tenant farm lies on the edge of the Pachtbosbeek valley, in the north-eastern corner of Parike. The Pastorie, an old Renaissance-style manor house, also stands on Matrouwstraat. On Boulevard Spets, in the same street, there is a sculpture group created by Yvan De Vos. These varied testimonies provide several thematic starting points for exploring the village, without requiring you to devote your day to a single attraction.

Trails between fields and historic boundaries

The “Tussen Parike en Deftinge” route is a specific way to experience Parike while on the move. It runs between fields and along small paths. Red, numbered junction signs are used for orientation. In the associated municipality of Brakel, the municipal hiking trails, including the Walmke Brandpad, are marked with hexagonal trail signs. If you value different trail systems when planning your trip, you can take this information into account when selecting and preparing your own excursions.

A distinctive aid to orientation is the pollarded oak. It marks the historic boundary between Flanders and Hainaut and continues to mark the boundary between Parike and Everbeek. At Drie Scheppers, water once bubbled up from the springs of the higher-lying Fonteinbos, from which farmers drew water. This historical memory adds another story from everyday life in the past to the visible landscape and village features.

Tradition on Parikeberg

The Walmkebrand is lit every year on Parikeberg. It is an old pagan folk festival, during which a large fire is lit to end winter and welcome a new spring. When planning your trip, this tradition can be a special reason to time your stay for the relevant period of the year. A specific event date is not required for this: what matters is the recurring nature of the festival and its connection with the changing seasons.

Which accommodation suits your stay?

When looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home in Parike, you can use your preferred daily rhythm as a starting point. If hikes between fields, historic village views and regional traditions are to be the focus, accommodation in Parike provides a suitable base for further travel planning. Families or groups of travellers with different interests can combine cultural sights, walks and an excursion to Parikeberg into different daily programmes, without giving all activities equal priority.

For cyclists, Après-Velo in Parike is a cycling café with a B&B and snacks. From the route, you have to take a detour at junction 95. This specific information helps with planning your visit and prevents you from incorporating a stop into the route unintentionally. You can access further destinations via Michelbeke, Everbeek and Nederbrakel.

For the overarching travel overview: Brakel.