There is something magical about the Leie, on which flax has been reddened for years. During the 18th and 19th centuries it was the center of a thriving industry, the remains of which can be found in meadows and walled farmhouses. The Leiemeersen, for example, were full of typical flax chapels.In Wervik you leave the original Leie and crank towards the Westhoek. You are approaching the old WWI front. Fortunately, now, 100 years later, nature is the winner here. On the way to Ypres you cycle past the domain "Palingbeek", a nature reserve of more than 230 hectares, which consists of an unfinished canal and the surrounding forests.