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Exchange 1, France

Scheldt walk: Denain to Valenciennes

Two days on foot along the young Scheldt, with the ecologists and engineers who shape it.

When
26 and 27 April 2025
Where
Map of the Scheldt from its source in France to the sea, with Denain to Valenciennes marked
Denain to Valenciennes, France
Who
8 participants
Cost
No fee; travel, a place to sleep and meals arranged
Theme
Locks, river restoration and the Drinkable Scheldt
Participants walking along the towpath beside the Scheldt, one of them pushing a bicycle

What we did

Our first weekend in the field took us past locks and river restoration sites. Along the way we saw what people built to control the water, and what happens when you give the river room again. Ecologists and engineers walked part of the way with us. They answered the questions you only ask when you're standing right there: why is it built like this, and who decided?

The walk was part of the Drinkable Scheldt initiative, which asks of every river in Europe: could you drink from it?

Most of us had only met online, so the evening was for team-building. At the end, we heard what came next: each of us would pick a theme, from water quality to urban planning, for a small research project.

In pictures

A guide with a walking stick talks to the group on the riverbank while a young participant stands on the edge above the water
The whole group standing together on the riverbank in the sun

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For anyone aged 16 to 26 living in France, Belgium or the Netherlands