Push open the gate of the Dendermonde béguinage and the traffic noise of the ring road simply drops away. Inside is a quiet triangle of grass, whitewashed houses with green shutters and a modest church, where for centuries communities of beguines lived. These were laywomen who chose a shared religious life without taking permanent vows, earning their keep with lacework, nursing and teaching. The béguinage is one of thirteen in Flanders listed together by UNESCO, and it is among the most intimate of them.
Dendermonde stands where the Dender flows into the Scheldt, a strategic spot that made it a fortress town for most of its history. That cost it dearly in September 1914, when invading German troops set much of the town on fire. The béguinage survived better than many streets, and a few of its houses now hold small museums about beguine life and local folk traditions. Dendermonde is also home to the Ros Beiaard, a giant wooden horse carried through the streets with four young brothers on its back, a procession held only once a decade that draws enormous crowds and fierce local pride.
Riding here is gentle Flemish lowland work. The country roads along the Scheldt dykes are flat and narrow, shared with tractors, cyclists in matching kit and the occasional heron lifting off a ditch. Wind is the real enemy; on a westerly day you will feel every exposed stretch. Expect cobbles in the old centre, low speed limits around schools and plenty of cameras, so ride as the locals do and keep it relaxed. Small foot and bike ferries cross the Scheldt along this stretch, and following the river's loops on the dyke roads is half the fun of a ride here.
Dendermonde is a town of over forty thousand, so fuel, bike parking and food are all close. Settle on the Grote Markt under the belfry, itself a World Heritage site, with a Flemish beer and a plate of local fare, and enjoy the bells ringing over a square that has seen a great deal and still manages to look content.