Discover Waregem: Parks, History and Nature

Waregem offers several distinct points of interest for a stay: a protected park landscape, First World War memorial sites, historic buildings and natural areas. If you are looking for a hotel in Waregem, you can start by choosing based on the theme you would like to spend time exploring. The places below show how varied the highlights are.

Parkland and walking paths

Park Baron Casier is a protected park in the English landscape style. You can stroll along its walking paths and across the footbridge. The park is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; from November 1 to March 31, it closes at 7:00 p.m.; these hours may change. As opening hours are subject to change, check them before your visit. If you would like to take a walk in the late afternoon or evening, pay particular attention to whether your visit falls within this winter period.

Memorial sites and architectural history

Flanders Field American Cemetery is the only American First World War cemetery in Belgium. The Visitor's Room is the cemetery's visitor center. There, visitors can learn more about American involvement in the First World War in Belgium, the cemetery's origins and the personal stories of fallen soldiers. This brings the historical context together with individual life stories.

The 58-meter-high tower of the Sint-Amandus en Sint-Blasiuskerk has been a protected monument since 1858. The history of the Lordship of Nieuwenhove dates back to the Middle Ages. Goed te Nieuwenhove's buildings date from a different period: they originally date back to the 18th century. The site, on the border between Waregem and Deerlijk, is now protected heritage.

Natural areas and birdwatching

The Oude Spoorwegberm is a 1.5-kilometer-long former railway embankment. It lies in the Mei- en Gaverbeekse meersen, a former floodplain of the Gaverbeek characterized mainly by pasture and hay meadows. More than 100 migratory and breeding bird species have already been observed there. Along the marked route through the Oude Spoorwegberm, white posts show the way.

The Zavelput has a different landscape origin: it is not a natural pond, but a former sand quarry. After excavation, the quarry filled with water, creating a diverse ecosystem. Today, the Zavelput is managed as a natural area. It attracts birds that follow the Leie during their winter and summer migrations. The natural sites therefore also differ in how they came about: here, a former railway embankment in a river landscape contrasts with a former sand quarry that filled with water.

More things to see in Waregem

The public park Ter Elst is located in Waregem's station area. The Gaverbeekhippodroom is a 17-hectare racecourse. The complex includes, among other things, stables, an all-weather track and a body of water.

Tour Elentrik is a street art project in which 20 electrical cabinets were decorated with art. Five are located in each of Beveren-Leie, Desselgem, Sint-Eloois-Vijve and central Waregem. The distribution across four areas offers a different focus from the individual parks and natural areas and gives you an overview of the project's geographical spread.

Discover more destinations: De Haan, Hooglede, Blankenberge, Anzegem, Deerlijk, Lichtervelde, Wielsbeke, Langemark-Poelkapelle

For the broader travel overview: West Flanders.