Wetteren: Mysterious Religious

This cycle route will take you through a region that is steeped in mystery! In Wetteren, you may find out who stole the panel from the Righteous Judges. Or find it in the Bareldonk Chapel? You will also be treated to stories about witch trials, local mysteries and legends. In between, enjoy local produce such as the Lam Gods beer or the Toverheksje.

The cycle route starts in Wetteren and takes you along field weeds to Laarne, Kalken, Donk, Berlare, Uitbergen, Schellebelle and Massemen.

Our cycling brochure is available free of charge from the Tourist Services of Wetteren, Laarne, Berlare and Wichelen. It is also available in the 'open churches' Sint-Gertrudiskerk in Wetteren and Sint-Dionysiuskerk in Kalken. Hop on your bike and be surprised by the religious heritage in your own country! 

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1. Tomb chapel family Pottelsberghe de la Potterie – Wetteren

   From the beginning of the 19th century, it was no longer permitted to bury the dead within the city walls. The old cemetery around the church therefore moved to the Molenstraat (...)

2. Sint-Jozef Chapel – Wetteren

   The Sint-Jozefinstituut and the chapel date from 1935-1936 and were designed by A. Bressers, an architect from Ghent. The chapel is one of the most remarkable religious buildings of the Interbellum. Influences from art deco, romantic cubism and local brick architecture form a harmonious whole with elements from early Christian and Byzantine art (...)

3. Sint-Gertrudis Church – Wetteren

   Situated on a sand hill, Saint Gertrudis Church is clearly designed to impress and dominate the landscape. It was built in 1866 to a design by the renowned Ghent architect L. Minard. It replaced the 12th-century Romanesque church, which initially stood in the middle of the market (...)

4. Sint-Macharius Church – Laarne

   The parish of Laarne was founded in the 12th century. What the old church looked like is not known. It was severely damaged during the iconoclasm and the religious wars at the end of the 16th century. The tower of celebration, the south side of the church at St. Macharius' Chapel and the chapel itself would have been built before this period (...)

5. Berlinde Chapel – Laarne

   This recently restored picturesque chapel dates from the 17th century. It probably replaced an older tree chapel on a lime tree, which explains the name 'berre linde' or isolated lime tree. The chapel was considerably enlarged in 1774 and equipped with a bell tower (...)

6. Sint-Dionysus Church – Kalken

   As you can see from the exterior of the Sint-Denijskerk, the church has been rebuilt and extended several times. Excavations confirm that there was already a small church there in the 12th century. The Romanesque church was enlarged around 1400 and equipped with the present tower (...)

7. Bareldonk Chapel – Berlare

   Between the old peat pits you will find the beautiful Bareldonk chapel on a high sand ridge. In 1773 it was given its current appearance as a simple single-nave rococo chapel. However, the chapel is much older than it looks. Research suggests that the chapel dates back to the 13th century (...)

8. Sint-Martinus Church – Berlare

   Like most churches, the current St. Martin's Church is the result of many different building campaigns. The oldest parts date from the 15th century, namely the west side with the Gothic tower and the first bays of the side aisles (...)

9. Sint-Pietersbanden Church – Uitbergen

   The Sint-Pietersbanden church dates from the 12th century but was thoroughly rebuilt at the beginning of the 20th century. The tower of the church and the choir are the only remains of the old church. In 1904 it was decided to enlarge the church and to adapt it to the extremely popular neo-gothic (...)

10. Sint-Jan Onthoofding Church – Schellebelle

    The idyllically situated St. John's Decapitation Church goes back in time to the 14th-15th century and was rebuilt several times afterwards. The current of the Scheldt caused subsidence in the church. The Protestant military operations during the religious wars were also devastating (...)

11. Van Hauwermeir Mill – Wetteren

    The watermill is first depicted on the map of the Ghent surveyor Horenbault from 1592. Initially it concerned a double company, an oil and grain mill, each on one side of the Molenbeek (...)

12. Sint-Martinus Church – Massemen

    The church of Massemen is one of the oldest churches in Wetteren. Its history starts in the 11th century when it was still a place of worship of St Bavo's Abbey in Ghent. What the medieval church has looked like is not certain. The old church was severely damaged by two heavy fires in the 16th century, so that the present church mainly dates from the early 17th century (...)