THESE ARE THE THREE MOST BEAUTIFUL CYCLING ROUTES IN FLANDERS ACCORDING TO VAB
Also on the podium were the Scheldt castles route in Bornem and surroundings and the Limburg ‘Actual mining history’ cycling tour from Beringen.
Trappist route (30 or 44 km)
With no less than 37.7% of the votes, this Antwerp route crowns itself with flying colors as the most beautiful cycling route in Flanders.
Café Trappisten is the ideal starting point. The abbey of Westmalle, which unfortunately cannot be visited, is only a stone’s throw away. Not to worry, as you pass through the vast Brechtse Heide nature reserve, you’ll catch up on your loss at the Abbey of Our Lady of Nazareth, where the Trappist nuns dedicate their lives to contemplation and the sale of bath towels, care products, beer and cheese. Your tour continues over and along the canal towards Malle. Along the way you will encounter the fairy-tale castle of Renesse and breathe in the forest air of the ‘s-Herenbos reserve. Finish with a double trappist or a tripple.
Start: Café Trappisten, Antwerpsesteenweg 487, Malle
Marking: hexagonal signs
"Picturesque villages, breathtaking nature and two fabulous castles"
2. Scheldt Castles Route (59 km)
Deserving second with 15.9% is the Scheldt Castles Route in Klein-Brabant. Picturesque villages, breathtaking nature and two fabulous castles: immerse yourself in a world of lush park gardens, unique works of art and noble intrigue. The meandering waters of the Scheldt are never far away. In the natural splendor along the banks of the Scheldt, you can catch your breath again. Along the way you visit Bornem Abbey and the magnificent castle of Marnix van Sint-Aldegonde with its entrance bridge, turrets and moat. You ride through the silence area of Weert, you pass Buitenland, hamlet of Bornem, the castle of Ursel in Hingene and drive through Scheldt villages Mariekerke and Sint-Amands, where you look out over the most beautiful curve of the Scheldt.
Start: Abbey of Bornem, Kloosterstraat 71, Bornem
Marking: nodes 23-40-24-25-26-7-4-4-3-3-3-3-2-1-21-22-40-3-3-5-6-8-76-67-10-11-66-88-88-81-28-27-80-80-13-89-23
3. Current mining history (61 km)
Also still on the podium, with 15.4% of the vote is the Limburg bicycle route “Actueel mijnverleden. Grease up those calves for this tough 61 km tour. Your cycling tour starts at
be-MINE, the historic mining site of Beringen, in the last century one of the seven mines of the large Kempen coal basin. Most of the buildings on the site are protected as industrial heritage, giving you a unique insight into what a coal mine once looked like. Along your route you’ll pass mine rails and encounter the old sites of Houthalen and Heusden-Zolder. You cycle through the nature reserve of the valley of the Zwarte Beek and over the old coal track to the Albert Canal and a coal port. Along the way you will learn a lot about Limburg’s mining past. Along forests and meadows you return to the starting point.
Start: be-MINE, Koolmijnlaan 201, Beringen
Marking: nodes 341-310-518-307-308-309-274-273-539-538-317-316-311-304-306-343-345-503-341
Complete results:
Trappist Route
- Scheldt Castles Route
- Current mining history
- Uitkerk polder cycle route (West Flanders, 40 km) More info: Click here.
- Dwars door de boomtoppen van Bosland (Limburg, 61 km) More info: Click here.
- Horstroute (Flemish Brabant, 38 km) More info: Click here.
- Wie belt de veerman fietsroute (East Flanders, 37 km) More info: Click here.
- De Wastinefietsroute (West Flanders, 52 km) More info: Click here.
- Pajotse Panorama Route (Flemish Brabant, 39 km) More info: Click here.
- Hidden Treasures (East Flanders, 54 km) More info: Click here.
