Through the Westhoek

With beautiful names such as Booitshoeke, Pervijze, Zoutenaaie and Avekapelle we end up in the middle of the Westhoek, where you cycle from one picturesque village to another. Peaceful and calm, but it wasn't like that here almost a hundred years ago. Numerous monuments, such as the Pervijze observation tower, the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwehoekje and the Dodengang, bear witness to the horror of WWI.

1. Meeting in Steenkerke at the late Gothic St. Lawrence Church (V) (16th century) with a Romanesque tower (12th century). Opposite the church are statues of Willem Vermandere at his house. With the entrance of the church on the right you start this tour through the Westhoek. You ignore a dead end road to the right of the church and cycle past a chapel to junction 72 a little further. Here towards 73, through the open polder landscape along the Steengracht. After a bend continue on a narrow path for cyclists and walkers between the fields. Cross a bridge and follow the Steengracht to the left. On the other side some farms with bridges and on the right 't Riethof. On a railway to the right. At the railway crossing, at junction 73, follow the Knollestraat, direction 19, past an impressive farm and a little further across the road Veurne-Diksmuide (N35). Then follow the Booitshoekestraat, direction tavern Het Witte Huis, with junction 19 on the Proostdijkvaart. Continue straight ahead, direction 20. Cross the N330 and continue towards Booitshoeke. Ignore side roads, cross the Bommelervaart via the Bommelerbrug and continue cycling to junction 20 at café-party room De Landman. Leave the road to Wulpen and cycle further through the Pervijzestraat, direction 2 At junction 21, a crossroads, turn right into the Pastoor H. Scherpereelstraat, direction 18, past the picturesque Sint-Audomarus church of Booitshoeke. At the fork turn right and past restaurant-tearoom Boikenshoc and some houses. At a chapel on the left into a cul-de-sac, but that does not apply to cyclists. On a T to the right. Where the narrow asphalt road bends right, follow the dolomite cycle path, next to the Proostdijkvaart to the left. At a white house the canal over via the bicycle bridge. The path takes you to the N35, which you cross via stairs. On the other side you continue cycling along the path, which turns into a narrow asphalt road. Ignore side roads and turn right at the fork with the mandatory stop until junction 18.
2. Just past it is the Oude Zeedijkmolen (1), an open-footed stake mill (1745). Turn left before it, direction 17 and Zoutenaaie. You cross the railway and see the Yser Tower of Diksmuide on the left in the distance. Continue to junction 17. Bend with the road and the canal to the left, direction 33. Past the signs Zoutenaaie and 'Centrum' you come to the memorial wall for the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk (1209-1960). So you are now in the 'center' of Zoutenaaie (2), hence the sign. At restaurant-tearoom Zoutenaaie you can read a short history of the village. Cycle to junction 33 and continue straight ahead, direction 34 and Lampernisse. The Zoutenaaiestraat becomes Oude Zeedijk, on diksmuide territory. You cross the Bovenvliet to junction 34. Turn left here, direction 35, a 'dead end' road. Continue on the Oude A-vaart on the Oude-Aa-vaartpad for cyclists and walkers. Through a tunnel under the railway, past a few bunkers, across the Zoutenaaiegeleed, to a priority road. Cross it and take the Sinte-Katharinakapellepad. First a narrow asphalt road, which dead ends on a meadow. Follow the Pervijze arrow on the left and enjoy the dolomite cycle path. You end up in the bend of a narrow asphalt road and follow it to the left. The asphalt stops. Cycle between the poles onto the dolomite path, still towards 35. Follow this Sinte-Katharinakapellepad to the chapel of Our Lady Gate of God's Grace in front of the WWI observation tower (3) on Kastanjeplein. Cycle along the square to a priority road and follow it to the left. Ignore the Molenstraat on the left, cross the Nieuwpoort-Gistel road and continue cycling over Ten Bercle.
3. Now follow direction 35 through the center of Pervijze over a residential area and back into the fields over the Berkelpad, until junction 35. Follow the Frontzate to the right, direction Diksmuide until junction 38. Turn left now, direction 39, until the T-junction and junction 39. Turn right until junction 5 and then left, direction Oud-Stuivekenskerke, Onze-Lieve-Vrouwhoekje and junction 2. Cross the Reigersvliet and you are at the archaeological site of Oud-Stuivekenskerke (4). Continue to the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwhoekje, war site and protected monument. Cross the Reigersvliet again via the bridge for cyclists and pedestrians and continue cycling, over two vibrating grids and one last time over the Reigersvliet. At the end of the Oud-Stuivekenspad you come to the IJzerdijk, which you follow to the right, past the IJzer and the Dodengang (5) to junction 2. For a visit you have to turn left. Our tour turns right, direction 4 and then to junction 3. Now follow the Frontzate to the left, direction 48. You cross a few roads to the fields and the road to the church of Kaaskerke. The Yser Tower is already getting pretty close. Carefully cross the Diksmuide-Veurne road and continue cycling along the zate until you can turn right at junction 48, direction 47. You follow the Vlavaart along an SME zone and the railway. Through a tunnel under the railway. Follow it for a while and then under the N364 back into the open landscape. The Grote Beverdijk sails over and right into the Bien Acquisstraat, until a T-junction. Turn left, direction Lampernisse, through the Cayennestraat, until junction 47. Now turn right, direction 23. On the left, behind the Zaadgracht, are the Komgronden of Lampernisse. At the T-junction, follow the Zannekinstraat to the left, until you reach a triangular square with junction 23. Continue straight towards 46, past the church of Lampernisse and tavern Zannekin until junction 46. Continue straight ahead, direction 31 and Eggewaartskapelle. At the junction with the two bridges, choose the left. In addition to an information board about the Grote IJzerbeekgeul the Grote IJzerbeek over and further on a dolomite cycle path between the fields. The path turns into a narrow asphalt road and at the fork, with a white house on the left, you cycle straight ahead, past a farm until junction 31. Continue cycling straight ahead, direction 32, past Steendam farm and across the Leerzevaart. At junction 32 turn left, direction 16. Ignore the road to the archaeological site on the right and cycle further through the Knollestraat to the ochre-yellow Knollekapel, at junction 16. Leave the road to Beauvoorde and continue cycling straight ahead, towards 15 and Veurne. Junction 15 can be reached when entering Eggewaartskapelle. Turn left, next to the picnic area, direction 72, past the steenkerke nameplate. Cross the Kromme Gracht and take the Haenestraat on the right. Ignore the road on the right to Avekapelle and continue cycling to the church.