L’Escaut à Boire / Drinkbare Schelde (360km, 30 days)

April 22nd – May 23rd 2025

We are walking in 30 days from the source of the Scheldt to its mouth in the North Sea, over 360km. This takes place from 22 April to 23 May 2025.

For this walk, we invite people to walk with us: residents, schoolchildren, farmers, fishermen, teachers, rowers, journalists, politicians, environmentalists, mayors and artists – you are all welcome.

Along the way, several large and small events will take place in the context of a clean and healthy Scheldt.

Nous marchons en 30 jours de la source de l’Escaut à son embouchure dans la mer du Nord, sur 360 km. Cette marche aura lieu du 22 avril au 23 mai 2025.

Pour cette marche, nous invitons les gens à marcher avec nous : habitants, écoliers, agriculteurs, pêcheurs, enseignants, rameurs, journalistes, politiciens, écologistes, maires et artistes – vous êtes tous les bienvenus.

Le long de la route, plusieurs événements, petits et grands, auront lieu dans le cadre d’un Escaut propre et sain.

We lopen in 30 dagen van de bron van de schelde tot de monding in de Noordzee, ruim 360km. Dit vindt plaats van 22 april tot 23 mei 2025.

Voor deze wandeling nodigen we mensen uit om mee te lopen: inwoners, schoolkinderen, boeren, vissers, leraren, roeiers, journalisten, politici, milieubeschermers, burgemeesters en kunstenaars – jullie zijn allemaal van harte welkom.

Onderweg zullen er verschillende grote en kleine evenementen plaatsvinden in het kader van een schone en gezonde Schelde.

Join the walk

We invite everyone to join the walk along the Scheldt. Fill in your details and receive all information you need tot know als a co-walker, about the Scheldt walk.

    Routing of the walk

    Find here the daily start- and enpoints of the route. Walkingdays start at 10 am (after a water measurement, at 9 am).

    April

    22 Gouy (source) – Bantouzelle
    23 Bantouzelle – Cantaing-sur-Escaut
    24 Cantaing-sur-Escaut – Thun-l’Evêque
    25 Thun-l’Evêque – Haulchin
    26 Haulchin – Valenciennes
    27 (Rest day)
    28 Valenciennes – Vieux-Condé
    29 Vieux-Condé – Brunehaut
    30 Brunehaut – Tournai (Doornik)

     

    May

    1  Tournai (Doornik) – Celles 
    2 Celles – Wortegem-Petegem
    3 Wortegem-Petegem – Kruisem
    4 (Rest day)
    5 Kruisem – Ghent
    6 Ghent (Event day, no walking)
    7 Ghent – Melle
    8 Melle – Wichelen
    9 Wichelen – Dendermonde
    10 Dendermonde – Baasrode
    11 Baasrode – Bornem
    12 (Rest day)
    13 Bornem – Rupelmonde

    14 Rupelmonde – Antwerp
    15 Antwerp (Event day, no walking)
    16 Antwerp harbour – Beveren (Kieldrechtsluis) (partly by boat)
    17 Beveren (Kieldrechtsluis) – Ouden Doel (Zoetenberm)
    18 Ouden Doel (Zoetenberm) – (Paal of) Walsoorden
    19 (Rest day)
    20 Walsoorden – Terneuzen
    21 Terneuzen (along canal)
    22 Terneuzen – Hoofdplaat
    23 Hoofdplaat – Vlissingen (take ferry across)

    Parallel route (by Jan).
    Gather at 10:30 am, depart of the walk at 11 am:
    16 Antwerp – Berendrecht
    17 Berendrecht – Bath
    18 Bath – Waarde
    19 Waarde – Biezelinge
    20 Biezelinge – Scheldeoord
    21 Sheldeoord – Borssele
    22 Borssele – Ritthem
    23 Ritthem – Vlissingen

    Map of the walk

    This interactive map highlights al the important points of the walk. You can use it to see were the walk wil start, end and were local events are organised.

    Please always double check the day prior, for the latest changes.

    Sign for a Drinkable Scheldt

    Whether you live along the Scheldt, one of the tributaries, in the watershed or outside of it, please join us in the ‘Sign your Lifeline’ campaign and sign your own Scheldt Lifeline at the button below.

    Events

    During the walk, a lot of events are being organised. Here you can find the posters of the events. Everyone is welcome to join.

    22/04/25 Gouy
    Open poster FR / NL

    23/04/25 Noyelles-sur-Escaut
    Open poster

    24/04/25 Proville
    Open poster

    26/04/25 Thiant
    Open poster

    26/04/25 Valenciennes
    Open poster

    28/04/25 Fresnes-sur-Escaut
    Open poster

    28/04/25 Vieux-Condé
    Open poster

    29/04/25 Maulde
    Open poster

    02/05/25 Avelgem
    Open poster

    03/05/25 Wandel mee met de Maarkeerders
    Geef je op

    03/05/25 Oudenaarde
    Open poster

    03/05/25 Ename Oudenaarde
    Open poster

    03/05/25 Nederzwalm
    Open poster

    06/05/25 Gent
    (bestuurders-event)
    Open poster

    06/05/25 Gent
    Open poster

    07/05/25 Gent
    Open poster

    07/05/25 Melle
    Open poster

    09/05/25 Schoonaarde
    Open poster

    15/05/25 Antwerpen
    Open poster

    16/05/25 Antwerpen
    Open poster

    16/05/25 Kallo
    Open poster

    18/05/25 Hulst
    Open poster

    19/05/25 Kruiningen
    Open poster

    The Scheldt Walk is organised without funding. Would you like to support us and make a donation? 

    Press release

    Find here the Drinkable Scheldt press release. Feel free to share it. 

    Team

    Together with people from various civil society organisations and municipalities, we have come together as we see a similar opportunity and need to jointly organise a walk to mobilise people in the Scheldt river basin for a drinkable Scheldt.

    Li An Phoa
    initiator, river walker Scheldt

    Vincent Traas
    coordinates Dutch/Zeeland

    Marie Parent
    coordinates France

    Tom DHaeyer
    coordinates Flanders

    Justine Quintin
    coordinates Wallonia

    Jan Flechner
    walks parallel route Westerscheldt

    Leon Dhaene
    coordinates mayors event in Ghent 6 May

    Anaëlle Gourlet 
    supports in France

    Toon Malevé
    coordinates schools in Flanders for citizen science

    Lieven Symons
    coordinates local event in Flanders

    Partners

    Tributary walk Kleine Nete

    In March 2023 we walked along the Kleine Nete, a tributary of the Scheldt, in Belgium.

    Together, we have made a charter for a Drinkable Kleine Nete. Already a lot of people have shown their support by signing the charter.

    Contact

    Voor meer vragen of suggesties

    More questions or suggestions, please contact us

    Pour plus de renseignements ou des suggestions