Cycling The Flemish Beers Route

Day 1: Arrival Genk

Arrive on your own at Genk, where you will receive a friendly welcome at your hotel, situated in beautiful Molenvijver Park.

• Accommodation: Stiemerheide Hotel in Genk or similar

Day 2: Genk – Peer | 66km

The first day of this cycling holiday takes you straight through the Hoge Kempen National Park. In Belgium’s only National Park, vast pine forests alternate with endless heathland landscapes. You cycle across the Mechelse Heide, with 700 hectares one of the largest heathland areas in Flanders. A unique experience on this route is undoubtedly the almost 300m- long wooden bicycle bridge, a beacon in the landscape. On top of the bridge, you get a panoramic view of the natural environment. There is time for breaks in the small towns of Opglabbeek and Meeuwen. Today’s final destination is the cosy Peer, one of the ‘Good Towns’ of the former Prince-Bishopric of Liège. Here you will find the Pieter Bruegel Museum.

• Accommodation: Hotel de Boskar or similar
• Cycling for the day: 66km

Day 3: Peer – Turnhout | 75km

Another day full of natural beauty starts with a little bit of history. Soon after the start, you will cycle through Hechtel. This village was completely destroyed in September 1944 during the Battle of Hechtel. Visit ‘Cycling through the Trees’ in Bosland – a unique cycling experience where you cycle up to 10m high between the trees. This cycle path safely takes you into higher realms. Quite literally – because you cycle around a double circle all the way up to the treetops, up to 10m. The cycle path is 700m in total. You experience nature in a completely different way and become one with the forest. Via the former sand pits around Mol and the canal from Dessel to Schoten, you arrive in Arendonk where you can admire the Toremansmolen. From here it is not far to Turnhout, a town historically linked to the manufacturing of playing cards. Checking out the local museum is highly recommended.

• Accommodation: Best Western Plus Turnhout City or similar
• Cycling for the day: 75km

Day 4: Turnhout – Antwerp | 59km

Your first stop for the day is the picturesque Merksplas where you can pop in at the visitors’ centre to find out all about former Merksplas-Kolonie, a social institution where able-bodied vagrants and beggars were taught farming skills and made to work the fields. Later on, pass Oostmalle and Malle on the way to Westmalle where you can enjoy a well-deserved Trappist beer at the café across the road from the abbey, before continuing on your way to the cosmopolitan city of Antwerp. 

• Accommodation: Van der Valk Hotel Antwerpen or similar
• Cycling for the day: 59km

Day 5: Antwerp – Leuven | 68km

As you leave Antwerp behind, your surroundings will get quieter and greener. If you are into military heritage, stop off in Mortsel to visit Fort no. 4 of the originally eight Brialmont Forts (1860-1864) that made up the defensive line of Antwerp. It is built in brick with sandstone decorations and stands on an island surrounded by a ditch and glacis. Cycling towards Leuven you will pass the festival grounds of Rock Werchter, an annual four-day festival held at the end of June / beginning of July. The Rock Werchter Experience Centre can be found in the village of Rotselaar. As you approach Leuven on your bicycle, you will cycle on some gentle slopes. Leuven is a friendly and attractive university town. In the evening, have your taste of the good life alongside the local bon-vivants. Admire the lovely architecture of the Town Hall and library, and go for a walk through the quarter known as Groot Begijnhof, a beguinage.

• Accommodation: Park Inn Leuven or similar
• Cycling for the day: 68km

Day 6: Leuven – Diest | 44km

Today’s wonderful section of the tour takes you to Diest. In Tielt-Winge you will find Vlooybergtoren, a different kind of a viewpoint: a rusty flight of stairs that ends in mid-air. A little further on, you will find Haksberg Castle amid 3.6 hectares of vineyards. The local wines are named after birds that can be found in the local Hageland region. Your next stop is Belgium’s most important pilgrimage site, Scherpenheuvel, boasting the oldest central-plan domed church in the Low Countries. Finish your day in beautiful Diest, a town that has ties to the Royal House of Orange. Still undiscovered by mass tourism, it will probably be your biggest surprise on this holiday. Have a look around the courtyard beguinage, one of the oldest, most beautiful and best preserved in the Low Countries. Amble along the River Demer which flows through town once again, after having been covered up since the 1960s. A boardwalk, a cycling path, steps and seating invite the townspeople to spend time by the water.

• Accommodation: Hotel de Franse Kroon or similar
• Cycling for the day: 44km

Day 7: Diest – Genk | 58km

The last route of this tour takes you to several special and unique places. Cycling on today’s flat roads won’t leave you breathless, but the landscape surely will. Firstly, you will cycle to Schulermeer Lake. Next, you will cycle to De Weijers, also known as Land of 1001 Ponds. Navigate your way around the humanmade fishing ponds, marvelling at the colourful vegetation and keeping an eye out for special species of amphibians and birds. Your next stop is in Bokrijk, an open-air museum that covers country life from 1910 to the 1960s, offering workshops in all kinds of historical skills and crafts. Towards the end of the day, get ready for an unusual experience: cycle on a path that runs for 200m right through a natural lake. You will be at eye level with the surface of the water, moving in total harmony with the ducks.

• Accommodation: Stiemerheide Hotel in Genk or similar
• Cycling for the day: 58km

Day 8: Departure from Genk

After one last hotel buffet breakfast, your bicycle holiday will come to an end.