Name: Graventoren of Rupelmonde
Rating: 2

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Belgium

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Sint-Niklaas

Kruibeke

Graventoren of Rupelmonde

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Belgium

Flanders

East Flanders

Sint-Niklaas

Kruibeke

Graventoren of Rupelmonde

Recommended by 45 cyclists

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Location: Kruibeke, Sint-Niklaas, East Flanders, Flanders, Belgium

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Top cycling routes to Graventoren of Rupelmonde

4.0

(2)

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1. Arcade by Gijs Van Vaerenbergh – Arcade artwork loop from Hemelrijk

16.6km

00:57

30m

Easy bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

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2. Arcade artwork – Arcade by Gijs Van Vaerenbergh loop from Steendorp

26.7km

01:49

70m

Easy bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

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4.3

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3. Bazel–Hemiksem Ferry – Kruibeke–Hoboken Ferry loop from Hemiksem

31.5km

01:58

90m

Easy bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Tips

🇧🇪 Herwig Aertbeliën

May 27, 2025

When you say Rupelmonde, you say Mercator and the Graventoren. This historic tower is a former moated castle that is linked to a bloody history.

The Graventoren was once owned by the Counts of Flanders. This colossal fortress protected the Scheldt from attackers and conquerors.

Historical context:

Mercator's dungeon

Mercator also plays a leading role in this story. When he shared his revolutionary insights with the world, he was promptly sent to the dungeon by the church authorities. Guess where that dungeon was located? Exactly, in the cellars of the Graventoren. He was locked up here for seven months, accused of heresy.

A bloody history

However, Mercator was not the only one who saw the cellars of the moated castle from the inside. Many dissidents suffered the same fate, and often worse. A stay in the dungeons of the Graventoren often ended with a bloody beheading. The Counts of Flanders may have a legendary status in history, but they were not sweethearts. Count Robrecht van Bethune once even threw his own son in jail here, accused of high treason. A kind of room arrest avant la lettre, you could say.

At the end of the 17th century, the curtain fell for the moated castle. The fortress was then drastically destroyed and the rubble was reused for other buildings. For example, the church of Rupelmonde was built with materials from the ruins of the castle.

Translated by Google •

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Elevation 80 m

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Monday 15 September

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Max wind speed: 23.0 km/h

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Location: Kruibeke, Sint-Niklaas, East Flanders, Flanders, Belgium

Graventoren of Rupelmonde

1. Arcade by Gijs Van Vaerenbergh – Arcade artwork loop from Hemelrijk

2. Arcade artwork – Arcade by Gijs Van Vaerenbergh loop from Steendorp

3. Bazel–Hemiksem Ferry – Kruibeke–Hoboken Ferry loop from Hemiksem

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