Symforosa – BB Diksmuide

LARGE MARKET

We start our walk on the Grote Markt, dominated by the town hall. The neo-Gothic building, built between 1875 and 1880, during the First World War entirely destroyed. The reconstruction Vaerwyck architect designed in collaboration with his colleague Joseph Brugse Vierin a hall with elements from the neogotiek and the Flemish neorenaissance. In the front wall anchors are twice the year 1923. The facade is symmetrical, with two stepped gables, separated by the central entrance with staircase and oriel superstructure. Above the door, the armorial bearings of the city and province flanked by images of agriculture and industry proposals. The zijgevels are tiered and all windows have cross frames.

The square belfry tower gives a solid impression with its small windows and reverb holes, Kordon Rotating tires spuwers and blunt corner towers. The carillon has thirty bells. The other houses on the market date from the postwar period and conclude with their Renaissance-inspired ‘vieux neuf’ style well with the architecture companies the city hall. On the south side of the market we find the Butter Halle (1928), now a memory of the ancient past of butter Diksmuide. The tower is a reconstruction of that of the archers gildehof the cross, which in 1914 was to the King Albert. Middle of the market is the statue of General Alphonse Jacques, who in 1914 at the head of his regiment defended the city. On the corner of King Albert in a plantsoentje the frolic Manneke from the Mane of thanks for a hundred years West Flemish humor.

We walk through the alley right of the Town Hall to St Nicholas Church with its robust tower. After two world wars, the church rose from its ashes to a design by the architects Joseph and Luc Vierin, who opted for a reconstruction of the early Gothic 14th-century prayer house with 18th-century spire. The elegant spire crowned with a lantern in contrast with the solid tower hull. The church space consists of a nave and two lower side aisle, all covered with timber barrel vaults.

We return to the Grand Place, stabbing and that besides the butter Halle the Rabbit Street. The Maria we see Doolaeghestraat right Paterskerk and the former convent, which today more profane purposes. The monastery will house the Municipal Academy of music and word in the church you will find the library. In Maria Doolaeghestraat we left, and then left the Admiral Ronarc’hstraat and right Vredestraat. At the end we go right Montanus street to the Bortierlaan, where we turn left direction station.

TRAM STATION

Opposite the station, we see a characteristic tram station, one of the rare buildings that after the First World War were still standing, although it was heavily damaged. With the money from the reparations it was rebuilt in 1920 in neobarokstijl. A bank restores the geklasserde building and there will be a new destination for them.

We go further behind the tram station and reach the City or ‘den Botaniek Court “with links to a car park to stappn. From here we can follow the brass nails under the city Diksmuide aanbracht a circuit through the historic center to give. The pond of the park is a remnant of the old city walls. The differences in the park show that we are here on the old fortifications are.

We walk along the pond and reached via a stone staircase Parklaan where we left. On the East vests save us right to the Broederstraat Gray, whose name derives from the founding of the convent of the Friars Minor-observer in 1453. Before us we see the post office, whose main building is a bit more left in the water. It built the Spanish governors in the 16th century style residence with an octagonal corner tower. After 1918 the building Friday faithfully rebuilt, although the facade was an additional trapgevel and a typical tabernacle window in Flemish Renaissance.

We descend the stairs of the Alleypad that brings us to the edge of the city or sea Handzame Vaart and walking under the bridge. On the other side we see the Great Dike with houses dating from the reconstruction period, as the premises at No. 11 with stepped gables, cross frames, round arches and cartouches in the arc fields. Water is always an important element in the urban fabric of Diksmuide. Traces of this are still found in the quay wall with aanmeerringen and loading and solves rap. The city has in recent years to the water again reversed by a successful reconstruction of the Great and the Small dike.

HAVENKWARTIER

We climb the stairs to hogte of the Fish Market, where ever the atmosphere was a pressure havenkwartier. The left side of the square is occupied by the former convent of black nuns, who in Diksmuide 500 years service to the people. ” the fish market is a low building that was built around 1920 with a heavy gebinte that is supported by square wooden posts. Behind the bluestone slabs that once the fish was displayed in the local bronze viswijf Jette, as a tribute to the Diksmuide fish.

We reverse our steps back and walk the bridge to the beguinage. The facade at the corner of Beguinage Street has a statue of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterburry. He would have stayed for some time when he was on the run for the English king Henry II. The beguinage existed before the First World War of some fifteen 17th-century houses and a church from 1434. After the destruction was beguinage rebuilt as it was. Begijnenstraat nest after 1918 are not returned. Today is a woonerf for adults with intellectual disabilities.

We leave the beguinage right and take the Small Dijk, we immediately see the houses of the Van Wezel Foundation, which in funding for the reconstruction of the devastated regions in Belgium. The Small Levee between the numbers 24 and 33 we find a toegagspoortje with glazed tiles in two hands, a sign of friendship and assistance.

A little further we go right Beerstblotestraat, where along the Handzame Vaart impressive restored factory buildings of the former Diksmuide Flour Mills, which were established shortly after 1918. They still contain the old machinery. the association Friends of the Flour Mills RECTIFY industrial heritage back to life. In this environment, a residential development overlooking the new marina Portus Dixmuda, located in the Iron and the mouth of the Handzame Vaart. Beyond Flour Mills, we left on the pedestrian bridge and so along the banks of the river we see the Iron Tower and Paxpoort.

We are left in the Iron avenue to Italy Square. The monument in the form of a Latin cross is a tribute to the Breton soldiers in May 1940 fell on Belgian soil fields. Through the General Jacqueslaan we return to the Grand Place.