Intro
This is a copy of an older hiking report on the GR 5A trail. Between Herdersem and Aalst (Rozen) the GR 5A and GR 128 trails coincide. So, we skipped this part later on when we decided to hike the GR 128 trail.
Just keep in mind that this article describes the trail in the opposite direction and only applies to the GR 128 for the part between Herdersem and Aalst (Rozen).
One of the most captivating aspects of a trail like the GR5A is that the landscapes change constantly. 20 km. can make a big difference.
That's what we noticed yesterday. The previous hike from Geraardsbergen to Denderhoutem led us through picturesque open and slightly hilly landscapes. West from Ninove we observed wide open agricultural plains and few habitation.
From Denderhoutem on (the hamlet Dries) this suddenly changes. Hamlets and housing pop up everywhere, the landscape becomes less open and traffic becomes more dense. A big contrast compared to the previous hike.
The hike
Nevertheless this hike also offers some noteworthy facts.
The first 7 to 8 km. of the hike take you from hamlet to hamlet along all kinds of paths and roads. One wonders where they got all the names: Daal, Vondelen, Eiland, ...
That way we arrive at Terjoden, a hamlet belonging to the village of Haaltert. This is our first encounter with 'palm-play', a traditional sportsgame still practised in this region. The game field is deserted, but with a little imagination you see the players spread over the field, incited by the supporters around it.
More information on this old game can be found here: http://users.telenet.be/kaatsen/
Currently workers are rearranging the square, including a new statue of a palmplayer (no title yet).
(click the picture for more images on Picasa)
We continu the hike, heading for Aalst. We cross the busy N45 (Aalst – Ninove) traffic road, walk over and under railway lines, pass through an industrial zoning, bridge the E40 highway, and finally find ourselves at the entrance of the Osbroekpark near Aalst.
Nothing (except the topoguide) tells you that you're entering a natural reserve area. The Osbroek originated on an old alluvial plain left behind by the river Dender. It's a moist area with ponds and flooded woods. A green oasis of silence and peace right on the edge of town.
The Osbroek nature reserve suddenly ends at a couple of sports fields that bring us into the city park of Aalst. The park was constructed during WorldWar I. It was a smart move set up by a deputy mayor, responsible for public works at the time (Désiré De Wolf). It prevented many citizens from being deported to Germany to go work there in the war industry. The result certainly was worth the effort. Especially the long-stretched mirror lake with it's rigid sober design and the arching construction at the end seems to belong to a romantic castle domain.
From the city park it goes straight to the center of Aalst. We sat down on a terrace in the Lange Zoutstraat, the shopping street that got famous because it used to be part of the popular Monopoly boardgame. However, without a hint of wind the sun made the place too hot and we just moved on to the market square.
Aalst can be proud of it's market square. The Mayors House, the Land House and the view on the Sint-Martinus church make it a beautiful place, taking you right back into history …
Unfortunately we still have a 10 km. hike in front of us, so we can only take in a few furtive impressions of the town. The short visit certainly changed our previous image of Aalst as a dull industrial relic.
Passing under the railway lines at the train station we arrive at the river Dender and cross it. We get to an area where the old city hospital used to be. It has been transformed into a quiet quarter with social housings.
Further along the itinerary we walk by the O.-L.-Vr. Hospital. The topoguide mentions that it's world-famous for the quality of its heart surgery ... interesting, but something we don't really want to think about too much right now.
We leave Aalst via the Zwembadpark. The town doesn't lack parks. The original German emergency bridge that used to span the river in the center of town until 1979, has found its final resting place here.
An old railway line, now transformed into a cycling path leads us to the quarter of Rozen. We find a hiking pole indicating that from here on the GR 128 trail (Flanders Route) will coincide with the GR 5A trail up to Dendermonde.
The remainder of this hike up to Herdersem is no succes. There's a lot of construction works going on, causing several traffic deviations in the region. Normally as hikers we shouldn't be bothered, but when this turns quiet country roads into sand trails where every passing car throws up enormous clouds of dust, then the fun is gone …
With grinding teeth we end our hike. It surely made us thirsty.
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