The best running trails around Spiere-Helkijn

Due to a breach in the wall near Ellestraat (approximately halfway along the canal), the canal completely emptied in 1959. The damage was later linked to the digging work of muskrats. (Wikipedia)

On April 22, 1944, the "Liberator K fort King", an American B-24 bomber, crashed here. Before that, the crew had managed to save themselves by parachute. Some were helped by the local resistance.

Until 1955, people used to swim here, but now it's a fascinating spot on your walking tour. You'll see the old pool with the original changing rooms and The Fisherman: a 10-meter-high sculpture by Tom Herck, previously displayed on the Grand Canal during the Venice Biennale. There's also a permanent outdoor exhibition. Eight artists were inspired by the former swimming pool and display their work on panels between the changing rooms, along with nostalgic archive photos. In the summer, relax at the summer bar and linger a little longer. Fun fact: in 1935, a water purification testing factory stood here. King Leopold III even visited. The project was canceled, and the pool closed in 1955, but it did receive protected monument status. Source: www.toerisme-leiestreek.be

Between 1857 and 1860, the old Bossuit-Kortrijk canal was dug using spades and wheelbarrows, as well as horse and cart. After the construction of the new canal in the early 1970s, this old section of the canal remained in place. As a result, an ideal spawning ground was created here. Fish find few suitable opportunities to spawn and lay their eggs. They do this on aquatic and riparian plants, which are present in limited numbers in the canal. Species such as rudd and pike require plants to complete their reproduction. The creation of fish spawning grounds gives the fish population a "natural" boost. However, it is not only fish that benefit from this nature development zone. Dragonflies, amphibians, waterfowl, and breeding birds also find an ideal habitat there. Source: information board on site

The Kortrijk-Bossuit Canal was built between 1858 and 1860 to connect the Leie and Scheldt rivers, primarily to transport coal from the Borinage to Flanders.

The bridge itself isn't much. There are actually two of the same type just a few hundred meters apart. Both cross the Gaverbeek stream, which runs parallel to the Trimaarzate, the green walking and cycling route on the old Ronse-Kortrijk railway line. The bridges allow you to walk through the grass on the other side of the Gaverbeek (although not yet designated as a walking path on Komoot, it is certainly easily walkable) instead of on the paved Trimaarzate.

Once we ruled the world - Tom Herck

The Old Swimming Pool of Spiere-Helkijn was an open-air swimming pool located at the mouth of the Spierebeek in the Scheldt. The swimming pool was built in the former water purification testing station that was built by the Belgian government in 1935-1936. The swimming pool was closed in 1955 and later became a protected monument. In 2019, the intermunicipal company Leiedal bought the old swimming pool of Spiere-Helkijn. Leiedal wants to preserve the site as heritage and improve accessibility by realizing a meaningful use with respect for the heritage and the green environment on the banks of the Scheldt. Through the PDPO project “Environmental construction of the Old Swimming Pool Spiere as a tourist-recreational hotspot on the Scheldt”, with support from the European Rural Program, Leiedal wishes to design the swimming pool and surroundings as a public space that is attractive, accessible, usable and safe for all visitors. In 2024, the greening will put the icing on the cake to deliver the new site that same year. The Old Swimming Pool will be restored as a heritage location into a tourist-recreational hotspot on the Scheldt where you can take a unique dip in nature.