Discover Beveren: Castles, Parklands and Cultural Trails

Beveren combines historic estates, protected landscapes and varied trails to create a destination offering many different discoveries. A moated castle in the heart of the town, several farmsteads with histories of their own and hiking trails give your stay a clear cultural and active focus. If you are looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home, you can therefore use Beveren as a base for days spent exploring cultural heritage, taking walks and enjoying distinctive landscapes.

Discover Castles and Historic Farmsteads

Kasteel Cortewalle is a 15th-century moated castle in the heart of Beveren. The park also contains a coach house with an orangery dating from the 18th century. The estate therefore offers several historical points of interest for a visit, without requiring you to limit yourself to a single building.

Hof ter Welle also reaches far back into history: The oldest traces date back to the 13th century, making the estate one of the oldest sites in Beveren. Today, Hof ter Welle houses a local history museum and the municipal art collection. Those interested in the development of the town, regional history and art will find a different perspective here than at the moated castle of Cortewalle.

The parish church of Sint-Martinus in Beveren is one of the protected cultural monuments. It is a spacious pseudo-basilica with partly Romanesque, partly Gothic and partly neo-Gothic architectural elements. These different architectural features are precisely what make the church noteworthy for visitors interested in cultural history. Another historic landscape is Singelberg, a motte hill located northwest of Beveren. It was created in the first half of the 12th century and is now protected as a landscape.

Hiking Between Cultural Heritage and Parkland

For a manageable hike, the 7 km “Langs drie kastelen” trail in Beveren is a good choice. The trail leads to Cortewalle, Hof ter Saksen and Hof ter Welle. Its length is easy to incorporate into your daily plans, while several historic destinations are at the heart of the route. If you prefer a longer tour, you can consider a 12 km route in Beveren that passes cultural heritage sites with interesting connections to Sint-Maarten.

The Vlaamse Martinusroute pilgrimage trail also passes through Beveren via Zwijndrecht and Burcht.

Hof ter Saksen and Its Special Features

Hof ter Saksen is an enclosed parkland woodland area in the Waasland region. At its centre is an 18th-century castle. Activities relating to the bee hall, bat reserve and arboretum take place in and around Hof ter Saksen throughout the year. A guided tour of Kasteelpark Hof ter Saksen provides information about these three areas. This allows you to combine a walk with nature observation and the history of the castle without losing sight of the trip’s cultural character.

You can walk through the park at Hof ter Saksen free of charge from 9 a.m. In summer, this is possible until 8 p.m., and in winter until 4:30 p.m. These times are useful when planning your day if you want to include the park as a fixed part of your itinerary. Beveren therefore offers both trails with clearly defined lengths and parklands where the available visiting hours play a role.

More Places for Planning Your Trip

If you would like to compare other destinations in addition to Beveren, here is a compact selection: Maarkedal, Haaltert, Sint-Laureins, Kruibeke, Zulte, Oudenaarde, Nevele and Ursel.

For the broader travel overview: East Flanders.