From Halle to Brussels by kayak - an invisible river in open air

From Halle to Brussels by kayak!!! Six hours of paddling to cover the 16 km, overcome the numerous obstacles and enjoy the great beauty of this meandering river. We were surprised to find out that the river is as invisible flowing in open air in Flanders as she is flowing underground in Brussels. The river passes mostly through private property and industrial areas and is hidden by a green wall of vegetation. Nobody saw us passing by.

The pollution by sewage water in Brussels is enormous but it’s clear that the river is already polluted when it enters the city. We could see it, feel it and smell it. We also encountered lots of floating trash.

But despite being unhealthy, this human sized river has a weird calming effect, it gives you an out of the world experience surrounded by nature.

How long before the river will be freed from our sewage and plastic waste?

Here is our trip in pictures.