Damme: Walk along the canals and Oostkerke

Start walk/free parking:
Parking Damme Zuid
Damse Vaart Zuid
51,24876° N, 3,27693° O

We started our walk by exploring the centre of Damme first. To get there you first follow the “Zuidervaartje”-river. You’ll find some dutch poems on this section.
You also got some nice views of the “Schellemolen” across the canal.

In Damme you’ll find plenty of possibilities to have a drink or eat something. There’s also lots of small gallery’s that can be visited. Plus ton of old buildings. Overall, very nice small city to walk through!!!

After exploring Damme we crossed the bridge over the “Lamme Goedzak”-canal that took us in the “Oude Schaapskooi”, a small natural reserve which served back in the day as the city walls of Damme.

We continued our walk along the Romboutswervedijk before stumbling upon a historic point “Verbrand Fort”(Burnt Fortress).

Not much later we reached the double canals. We walked alongside one, the Schipdonkkanaal, for awhile before crossing the two canals on a bridge. On this bridge you have great views of these two straight, long canals: the Schipdonkkanaal and Leopoldkanaal.

After the bridge we walked towards the lovely, small town of Oostkerke and not much later by the Oostkerke Castle which is actually more a big house than a castle.

Leaving Oostkerke we walked back to the two canals and crossed them once more.
Here you also find the well known and beautiful situated restaurant Siphon.

The last part of the walk initially follows the canal “Lamme Goedzak” before taking a left to follow the smaller canal “Zuidervaartje” back to your car.

Enjoy!


Extra info:
“The Damme Canal (French: Canal de Damme. Dutch: Damse Vaart or Napoleonvaart) is a canal in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The canal links Bruges with the Western Scheldt at Sluis, Netherlands. It was constructed on the orders of Napoleon Bonaparte who wished to create a canal network in order to permit the efficient transport of troops without the risk of disruptive interventions from the British navy.” - wikipedia