Behold the Lys! It is a river flowing through France and Belgium. It is a left-bank tributary of the Scheldt.
The Lys rises in Pas-de-Calais. It flows into the Scheldt in Ghent. The river stretches 202 kilometers. That equals 126 miles.
Once heavily polluted, the Lys has improved. This is partly due to the decline of flax spinning and weaving. In the early 20th century, painters favored the Lys region. This was between Deinze and Ghent.
Let’s trace the Lys’s journey. Its source lies east of Fruges. This is in the Pas-de-Calais department. It flows northeast through France and Belgium.
In France, it passes through Thèrouanne and Aire-sur-la-Lys. It also flows through Merville, Armentières, and Halluin.
Crossing into Belgium, it touches Comines-Warneton. Then it runs through Menen, Wevelgem, and Kortrijk. Waregem and Wervik also see its waters. Finally, it reaches Zulte, Deinze, and Ghent.
Several tributaries feed the Lys. These include the Laquette and Clarence. Also, the Lawe, Deûle, and Gaverbeek. The Heulebeek and Mandel add to its flow.
The Lys witnessed significant battles. Three battles occurred here during the World Wars. In 1918, the First Battle of the Lys took place. It was part of the German Spring Offensive. Later that year, the Allies fought the Second Battle of the Lys. In World War II, the Battle of the Lys was part of the German offensive in Flanders. It aimed toward the English Channel.
In the Middle Ages, the Lys was used for commerce. Floods prompted major works around 1670. Meander cut-offs were implemented. Six locks and weirs overcame the elevation difference. This was between Aire-sur-la-Lys and the border. The works were completed in 1780. Grain and linen heavily traveled this river. They were bound for Ghent and Antwerp. In 1899, tragedy struck. Over 40 schoolchildren fell through the ice. They drowned while skating on the frozen river at Frelinghien.
The Freycinet program deepened the river. The section below Armentières was enlarged. It became class III from 1930. The border section improved to class Va. This started in 1960. This section forms part of the EU’s priority project 30. It is for the Seine-Escaut waterway. The upstream section is mainly for recreation. It is often heavily silted.
The Canal de la Deûle connects to the Lys. It is one of the oldest canals in northern France. It originally connected the Scarpe River with the Lys. About half of its length is now part of the Dunkerque-Escaut waterway. The remaining part runs through the port of Lille. It is considered a branch of the main route. The Deûle is 34.8 kilometers long. It has three locks.
Parts of the Deûle became navigable in the 13th century. The canal was linked with the Scarpe in the 17th century. It was connected to the Lys in the 18th century. The Lys and its connected waterways shaped this region.