Grote Geul

Grote Geul is a "kreek" — a creek left behind by historic sea floods — located in the Belgian municipality of Assenede, in the Meetjesland region of East Flanders. Covering roughly 14 hectares, it winds for more than two kilometres through the surrounding polder land, forming one of the defining features of the so-called krekengebied, the creek area around Assenede.

Where did this creek come from?

Grote Geul began life as a side branch of the river Vliet during the 15th and 16th centuries, at a time when storm surges and tidal floods regularly reshaped this low-lying coastal landscape. Its present form dates back to the diking of the Nicasiuspolder in 1519–1520, when the creek was cut off from the main course of the Vliet and became a self-contained body of water, fed partly by fresh water and partly by brackish seepage rising from below ground.

What can visitors see here today?

Although the land remains privately owned, it has been leased and managed by the nature organisation Natuurpunt since 1957, which has turned Grote Geul into a functioning nature reserve. The landscape is shaped by pollarded willows — trees traditionally pruned into a distinctive rounded crown — alongside extensive reed beds and wet alder woodland. The mix of fresh and brackish water supports salt-tolerant plant species that are unusual to find so far inland.

Why does the reed here matter historically?

For centuries, the reed growing along the banks of creeks in this region served a practical purpose: it was harvested for thatching roofs and used as a natural windbreak to protect crops from erosion. Grote Geul, together with the neighbouring Rode Geul and the twin creeks Grote Kil and Kleine Kil, ranks among the most significant of these creeks in the area around Assenede.

How can you explore Grote Geul?

The creek area around Assenede, including Grote Geul, is accessible via marked walking trails that lead through the polder landscape. Walking along the creek lets visitors take in its calm, wide stretch of water framed by the region's characteristic wetland vegetation, and, in the breeding season, spot waterbirds that favour the reed beds and alder groves.

Frequently asked questions

Is Grote Geul a lake? No — it is a "kreek," a remnant of a former tidal inlet shaped by centuries of flooding, rather than a conventional lake.

Is the site open to the public? The creek itself remains privately owned, but it has been managed by Natuurpunt since 1957, and surrounding footpaths allow visitors to take in the landscape from a respectful distance.

What sets Grote Geul apart from other creeks in the region? Its size (14 hectares) and length of over two kilometres, along with its unusual mix of fresh and brackish water, which supports rare salt-loving plant life this far inland.

Where does the name krekengebied come from? It refers to the whole cluster of creeks around Assenede, which besides Grote Geul includes Rode Geul, Grote Kil and Kleine Kil — all formed in a similar way through historic floods and polder embankments.