Plassendale-Nieuwpoort Canal

Away from the centers, you can drive your pace almost undisturbed.

The canal from Plassendale to Nieuwpoort is a canal that forms a connection between the Bruges-Oostende Canal and the IJzer via the Ganzepoot in Nieuwpoort. It has a length of about 21 km and a width of about 20 meters. The banks are reinforced along their entire length with concrete sheet pile walls.

The canal was built in the period 1632 – 1640 to provide an alternative to the silted sea connection between Bruges and the North Sea via the Zwin. During the Eighty Years' War, Ghent's access to the Western Scheldt became impossible due to the blockade of the Dutch who had conquered Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. Flanders therefore no longer had a connection with the sea. Ostend was then put forward as the most important port. The Bruges-Oostende canal was constructed with a lock in Plassendale. The last part between Ostend and Plassendale was subject to tides and therefore not ideal. This created the need for a tidally insensitive sailing route parallel to the coast to Nieuwpoort, Veurne and so on to Dunkirk. The Plassendale-Nieuwpoort Canal partly runs in the historic bed of the Ieperlee, just like part of the Bruges-Oostende canal. In 17th century documents it is referred to as "the new river". Today, however, the economic significance of the canal is limited.

Colloquially, the canal is also often referred to as the canal or the Plassendalevaart. Along the northern bank, the asphalted and largely car-free towpath is recognized as an international cycle route. The lock complex in Plassendale is protected. The first lock gate still needs to be operated manually.

Source: nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanaal_Plassendale-Nieuwpoort

There is a picnic table near the information board (along the Vaartdijk-Zuid before you reach the Slijpe bridge). There are several benches along the Vaartdijk, some of which are under a tree.