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88 Route 9: LOKEREN.
3114/5 M. Boom (H6t. de Univers), a town with 16,800 inhab.
and numerous brick-kilns, where our line crosses that from Alost
to Antwerp (see p. 3); 34M. Reeth, junction of the Antwerp-Rumpst
steam-tramway (p. 167). — 361/p M. Contich, and thence to (43 M.)
Antwerp, see p. 164.
b. Waesland Railway.
31 M. Rainway in 41/4-2 hrs., including the crossing of the Scheldt at
Antwerp (fares 4 fr. 70, 3 fr. 20, 1 fr. 90c.). This is the shortest route, but is
not traversed by express trains. Travellers from Ostend or Bruges intend-
ing to take this route book to Ghent only, where they take a fresh ticket
at the Waes Station, 1 M. from the Gare du Sud (p. 53).
The train starts from the Waes Station (p. 53; Pl. E, 3). Immed-
jately on the right is the Grande Béguinage (p. 77). This line
traverses the Pays de Waes, or Waesland, one of the most populous
(about 700 pers. to the sq. M.), highly-cultivated, and productive
districts in Europe. During the civil wars in Flanders the Waesland
was a sterile moor, butat the present day every square yard is utilized.
The train traverses arable land, pastures, gardens, woods, and plant-
ations in rapid succession, while comfortable farm-houses and
thriving villages are seen at intervals. It is said that the attention
usually deyoted to a garden or a flower-bed is here given to every
field; for the natural soil, being little better than sand, requires to
be artificially covered with garden-soil. The agriculture of this tract
is, therefore, worthy of the notice of farmers.
4M. Loochristi, with an old chateau; 6 M. Beirvelde, with the
fine modern Tudor chateau of M. Lippens de Kerchove. — 44 M.
Lokeren (49 ft.; H6ét. des Brasseurs) is a manufacturing town with
22,500 inhabitants. The Church of St. Lawrence contains some
ancient and modern works of art, and a famous pulpit by Verhaeghen
(1736) of Malines. Lokeren is the junction of the lines to Dender-
monde and Alost (see p. 3), and to Moerbeke (p. 164)-Selzaete-
Becloo (p. 78). A steam-tramway runs hence to Wetteren (p. 87). —
151/, M. Sinay.
191/) M. St. Nicolas (62 ft.; Hot. de l’Aigle; H6t. du Miroir),
a pleasant -looking town with 33,300 inhab., is the busiest manu-
facturing place in the Waesland. In the market-place, one of the
largest squares in Belgium, 1/5 M. from the station, are situated
the modern Gothic Hétel de Ville, the Museum (antiquities from
the Waesland), the Court of Justice (the old Hotel de Ville), the
old Landhuis, and several medieval dwelling- houses. The Church
of St. Nicholas was restored in 1900. The church of Notre Dame,
behind the Hétel de Ville, built by Overstraeten in 1844, contains
well-executed mural paintings by Guffens and Swerts, among the
first attempts at frescoes in Belgium. — A branch-line runs from
St. Nicolas to Hamme and Dendermonde (p. 87). Near St. Nicolas
the train crosses the Malines and Terneuzen railway. |
