The historical art cities route

Suprisingly close and suprisingly beautiful. That’s the way to describe the various region of Flanders and Brussels in a short way. Flanders and Europe’s capital Brussels offer holiday joy for everybody: lovely bike tours through beautiful landscapes, culinary joy in great restaurants, cultural highlights in historical buildings and museums and of course the ever pulsating city of Brussels.

Access:
Airport in Brussels (Vueling, Iberia) or Charleroi (Ryanair)
Trains: to Brussels
Highway to Brussels

Level: easy and flat, available for all cyclists and their children

Route: quiet roads and mostly cycle tracks

Top places of interest:
The lovely cycling between sea, canals and dunes
The rich architecture of churches, abbeys, castles and windmills
The historical art cities Brussels, Leuven, Mechelen, Gent and Bruges
The beautiful cities at the seaside: Ostend and De Haan
The gastronomy and ambiance in cafés and restaurants

Tour description

Day 1: Arrival in Brussels
It’s not a metropolis like Paris, London or Rome, but she will certainly seduce you with her multicultural charm and with place, galleries, small streets, which enrich the power of the city.
The market square, the Atomium, Manneke Pis, the icons of the Belgian capital are a must for every visitor of Brussels. Moreover, Brussels is also the city of Jugendstil. And of course, there is always a festival as ‘Couleur Café’, a flower carpet or an interesting exhibiton.

Day 2: Brussels - Mechelen (ca. 60 km)
On the first day, we cycle along Leuven. This ciy is not only known for as university city – with the oldest Belgian university -, but also as a beer city. A walk in Mechelen, city at the river Dijle, will show you all the most important historical buildings, which were erected in the time of the Burgundy. You certainly have to visit the St. Rombouts-cathedral, the palaces of Margarete of York and Margarete of Austria. Or you can also visit the toy’s museum!

Day 3: Mechelen – Bornem (40 km)
Today we cycle along the river Rupel and Schelde to Temse. This is not only a beautiful city, it’s also known for the bridge over the Schelde, with 365 meters the longest one in Belgium.

Day 4: Bornem – Gent (ca. 65 km)
Gent, also the hisorical centre fo Flanders, offers a variety of places of interest and is overseen by lots of towers, for example the one of the St. Bavo cathedral with the world famous painting of Jan van Eyck. The historical heart of the city is well conserved: you can for example visit the old port. Nearby, you will find the ‘Gravensteen’, once the medieval castle of the counts of Gent, today one of the most important places of interest.

Day 5: Gent - Bruges (ca. 45 km)                      
The historical centre of Bruges is part of the world famous Unesco world heritage site list. Who visits Bruges, will notice it straight away: this city has always taken care of its architectural and cultural treasures. Take your time and stroll along lovely parks, intimate little streets and ancient market squares. You can also do some shopping: the shopkeepers will love to explain you everything about our Belgian chocolate or beer. Or simple enjoy ‘French’ fries on the stunning market square.

Day 6: Bruges – Ostend – Bruges (ca. 65 km)
Ride along the canals to the port of Ostend and further to the authentic coastal village of De Haan, enjoying a refreshing dive into the North sea or relaxing at the beach. Or you can also enjoy a free day for shopping, a boat ride on the canals, sightseeing by carriage, visiting some museums, climbing the belfry or for taking a 15 min. train ride to Ostend, a majestic port town

Day 7: Departure after breakfast or extra night in Bruges or Brussels
Back to Brussels by direct train (1 train per hour)