Available LanguagesLanguage En Menen - The old ‘new’ locksInteresting historic site with a barrage and ship locks locks, dating from 1920-21, and founded after the then ‘new’ Leie was dug along the Sluizenkaai. From then on, ships of 300 tonnes, transporting mainly grain and coal from France could be transported downstream. A customs office was located opposite the locks. For shipping this was the official border crossing between Belgium and France. During the Second World War (April 28, 1944) the locks were destroyed by the SOE (Special Operations Executive), a British organization carrying out tampering operations in the occupied area. A commemorative sign reminds us of this. It says: "Passenger commemorated April 28, 1944. Those locks were destroyed by a parachutist command of the Allied Commander Command an the Belgian Resistance. A plaque remembers this heroic action.They were restored after the war, but since 1990, when the new canalized Leie was opened to trafic, the they have no economic value anymore. The locks now form a unique soft connection between Menen and Halluin, between Flanders and Northern France. Gallery:
Typology: Walk Travel time: 3 h Route Difficulty: Easy Places to visit Alternative activities Hotel and Restaurantes Places to visitAlternative activities Hotel and Restaurantes Alternative Activities Wevelgem - The ‘Groot Volander’ flax farm Kortrijk - The Texture-museum Kortrijk - Remains of the Flax spinning mill ‘De Kien’ Comines - The Railway station Menen - Old Leie and new Leie Wevelgem Airport Kortrijk - Tuileries du Littoral Kortrijk - Soetens Molen Wervik - Brieken-windmill Flax retting and scutching site D’hondt at Menen Menen - Saint Johns Mill Bissegem - centre of flax retting and scutching Kortrijk railway station and the new town planning Wervik - National Tobacco Museum Menen - The old ‘new’ locks Bousbecque - Paper mill Dalle & Lecompte Kortrijk - The Banque de Courtrai Kortrijk - Blanchisserie de Courtrai Menen - Windmill ‘De Goede Hoop’ Menen - Brewer’s House Les Trois Rois Wevelgem - Old workshop op Eugène Baekelandt Kortrijk - The Buda Island & Factory Kortrijk - Europaspinnerij Menen -The Tobacco factory Menen - French custom house Place to visit Wervik Kortrijk - Texture, museum over Leie en vlas Kortrijk Menen Wevelgem Comines Comines - Musée de la Rubanerie Cominoise EXPLORE THE STAGES OF THE ITINERARY Day 1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5Day 1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5 day 1 day 2 day 3 day 4 day 5 Every dayDay 1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5 Apply