Discover Gistel: Godelieve Culture and Polder Landscape

Gistel combines impressive Godelieve traditions with historic buildings, varied trails and a landscape between polders and sandy areas. Those looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home can therefore discover the town according to different travel interests: culture leads to Ten Putte Abbey and the Church of Our Lady, walks and cycling tours reveal further facets, while the Friday farmers’ market provides an insight into regional products.

Godelieve and Gistel’s cultural heritage

The Ten Putte Abbey site in Zevekote (Gistel) includes a listed 14th-century tower, a listed miracle well from the 17th century and a listed chapel from the 16th century. Ten Putte Abbey was probably founded around 1100 at the site of Godelieve’s martyrdom. A tour of the cultural heritage site can be taken on the grounds; the accompanying brochure is available at the Godelieve Museum for €3.

The Godelieve Museum provides information about Godelieve, the veneration of the saint from Gistel and the history of Ten Putte Abbey. It also shows a short historical film. Exhibits include a gravestone of Abbess Godelieve Payers from 1553, a miracle painting depicting the seamless shirt from the 18th century, the Godelieve panel as a 16th-century triptych, bloodstones and a Godelieve stained-glass window created around 1891 in the neo-Gothic abbey church.

Today’s neo-Gothic Church of Our Lady is also an important cultural point of interest. It was built according to plans by the architect Pierre François Buyck and consecrated in 1867. The church has a Godelieve side-chapel area with works of art, two shrines containing her relics, her tomb and a well. The Godelieve procession is particularly rich in tradition: every year, it passes through the streets of Gistel on the first Sunday after 5 July. During this procession, around 1,000 performers in historical clothing depict Godelieve’s life. In 2017, the Godelieve procession was recognised as Flemish intangible cultural heritage.

Walks, the mill and historic trails

For a walk through the town, the “Gistel centrum” walking route is a good choice. It starts and ends at the Oostmolen at Warandestraat 26 and passes various sights and historic buildings in the centre of Gistel. The Beeldenroute is another sculpture walk through the centre of Gistel; its focus is on 14 works by the artist Lieven Debrabandere.

The Oostmolen site is located on the eastern edge of the town centre and comprises a windmill, a miller’s house with a stable wing and extension, a barn behind it and a mechanical mill. The Oostmolen is the only fully functioning tower windmill with a dual function: it grinds grain and presses oil. Those who prefer to experience history through specific places and trails can combine these themes with the Godelieve tradition when planning their own day programme.

Polder landscape, cycle routes and peaceful recreation

Gistel’s landscape lies in the transition zone between polder and sandy landscapes. Several elongated sandy islands lie along the actual polder boundary. The natural area includes the 630-hectare Oostends Krekengebied, which extends across Oostende, Oudenburg and Gistel. The area is designated as a nature reserve and offers potential for a great diversity of plants and animals. The Oostends Krekengebied project includes facilities for peaceful recreation across this area.

Gistel is part of the Brugse Ommeland cycle network and the Brugse Ommeland tourist region. The Godelieve cycle route is a 40-kilometre circular tour with views of the polders and QR information points about Saint Godelieve. The start and finish are at Godelieve Abbey Ten Putte in Gistel, Abdijstraat 86. Another cycle route starts at the Zomerloos leisure centre, Sportstraat 1 in Gistel. This allows you to choose between cultural walks, a longer cycling tour and nature experiences when planning your trip, without limiting the town to just one type of holiday.

Market and practical information

A farmers’ market takes place on Marktplein in Gistel on Friday mornings. Products on offer include dairy products, meat, vegetables, potatoes, pancakes, fruit and flowers. The products are made by hand or come from the producers’ own cultivation or production. For further planning, you can obtain a town map, tourist brochures, information sheets, as well as walking and cycling maps, from the tourist information desks in the administrative centre and at the Zomerloos leisure centre.

The Documentation Centre is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.; outside these times, visits are possible by prior appointment. When looking for accommodation in Gistel, you can therefore consider whether your trip should focus more on Godelieve culture, historic town walks, cycle routes, the landscape or the weekly market. You can also include Lichtervelde, Middelkerke, Spiere-Helkijn, Zuienkerke, Moorslede, Kortemark, Deerlijk and Tielt in your planning as further travel destinations.

For the overarching travel overview: West Flanders.