en Cycling from Leuven 4 CYCLING LOOPS ROCK WERCHTER- 4 cycling loops ROUTE LEUVEN - WERCHTER 36 KILOMETER fromloops Leuven from p. 6 - 7 Leuven is the cycling city par excellence: compact, cosy, and all the sights are within cycling distance of each other; it’s the ideal mode of transport for exploring the city and soaking up the ambience. But also for Leuven is the cycling city par excellence: compact, cosy, exploring the wider region because you’ll find a and all the sights are within cycling distance of each special, green, rural region beyond the city’s walls other; it’s the ideal mode of transport for exploring the where there is so much to discover. city and soaking up the ambience. But also for exploring Thethe widercycling region loops becausein this booklet you’ll findeach a go special, in a green, differentrural region direction beyond and the take city’s you walls to the where most there is so beautifulmuch to discover.parts of the region. Will you opt to ride to the magnificent Horst Castle or will you glide The cycling loops in this booklet each go in a different gracefully through a green valley to the Warande direction and take you to the most beautiful parts of Park and the Africa Museum in Tervuren? And why the region. Will you opt to ride to the magnificent Horst not go to Werchter, the home of the country’s Castle or will you glide gracefully through a green valley largest music festival and the Rock Werchter X to the Warande Park and the Africa Museum in Tervuren? 35 Experience Centre? Perhaps you’d rather disappear LEUVEN KILOMETER And why not go to Werchter, the home of the country’s into the green heart? Then just dive into the largest music festival and the Rock Werchter X Experience Heverlee Woods and Meerdaal Forest. Centre? Perhaps you’d rather disappear into the green heart? Then just dive into the Heverlee Woods and HORST- Follow the numbers 10 Meerdaal Forest. The four cycling loops are located on the Flemish 10 DEPARTURE ROUTE Visit Leuven FollowBrabant Cycling the numbers Network. The principle is simple: a VOERVALLEI-. LEUVEN - HAGELAND junction is located where cycle paths intersect, and Naamsestraat 3 The four cycling loops are located on the Flemish Brabant p. 4 - 5 each junction is numbered. The green & white signs ROUTE Cycling Network. The principle is simple: a junction is along the paths show you the way to those junctions. So located where cycle paths intersect, and each junction is LEUVEN - you just have to go to the starting point of your route and numbered. The green & white signs along the paths show TERVUREN follow the numbers on your map. you the way to those junctions. So you just have to go to p. 8 - 9 the starting point of your route and follow the numbers on your map. You’ll find a list of all junctions per bike ride on the back. Tear it out and take it on the road. Check the website for the most up-to-date information. 31 KILOMETER TIPTIP Every cycle junction in your pocket? Download the cycling app Dangerous Fietsknoop: fietsapp! crossing Bicycle rental MEERDAALROUTE. LEUVEN - ZOET WATER Recreational park p. 10 - 11 Check the website for the most up-to-date information. - 2 - - 3 - ROCK WERCHTER- 4 cycling loops ROUTE LEUVEN - WERCHTER 36 KILOMETER from Leuven p. 6 - 7 Leuven is the cycling city par excellence: compact, cosy, and all the sights are within cycling distance of each other; it’s the ideal mode of transport for exploring the city and soaking up the ambience. But also for exploring the wider region because you’ll find a special, green, rural region beyond the city’s walls where there is so much to discover. The cycling loops in this booklet each go in a different direction and take you to the most beautiful parts of the region. Will you opt to ride to the magnificent Horst Castle or will you glide gracefully through a green valley to the Warande Park and the Africa Museum in Tervuren? And why not go to Werchter, the home of the country’s largest music festival and the Rock Werchter X 35 Experience Centre? Perhaps you’d rather disappear LEUVEN KILOMETER into the green heart? Then just dive into the Heverlee Woods and Meerdaal Forest. HORST- Follow the numbers 10 The four cycling loops are located on the Flemish 10 DEPARTURE ROUTE Visit Leuven Brabant Cycling Network. The principle is simple: a VOERVALLEI-. LEUVEN - HAGELAND Naamsestraat 3 junction is located where cycle paths intersect, and p. 4 - 5 each junction is numbered. The green & white signs ROUTE along the paths show you the way to those junctions. So LEUVEN - you just have to go to the starting point of your route and TERVUREN follow the numbers on your map. p. 8 - 9 Check the website for the most up-to-date information. 31 KILOMETER TIP Every cycle junction in your pocket? Download the cycling app Dangerous Fietsknoop: fietsapp! crossing Bicycle rental MEERDAALROUTE. LEUVEN - ZOET WATER Recreational park p. 10 - 11 - 2 - - 3 - LEUVEN - HAGELAND Highlights of the route Kessel-Lo Provincial Domain A Hageland Wine Visitor Centre D 35 Take your time to explore this super cute If you want to learn more about Hageland The tastes of KILOMETER leisure park on the outskirts of Leuven. You wine, then this handsome, 19th-century can have a picnic in the grass while the building is the place to be. A tip: Book a kids climb and clamber on the playground wine tasting in advance in the wine cellar the Hageland equipment. Float in a boat on the pond, under the Visitor Centre. This can be splash in the paddling pool, or discover the done for groups of 15 people or more. nature of the swampy Lovenarenbroek. E The Hageland, a hilly, green region where the vines catch De Vlier Brewery the sun on the southern slopes, lies to the east of Leuven. Bioengineer Marc Andries followed his You pedal all the way to the gates of the sturdy moated passion and opened De Vlier Brewery in castle of Horst. Along the way, you can virtually taste 2008. Every Saturday, he takes visitors on the sacred tranquillity of the beautiful Vlierbeek Abbey, a guided tour, after which you can sample C and actually taste the delicious beers and the authentic his surprising creations in the cosy tasting Hageland wine. room. Stella Artois F 63 Vlierbeek Abbey B World-famous and deeply rooted in The Benedictines who settled in Leuven. You can take an interactive 44 503 Vlierbeek in 1127 knew exactly what they tour of the brewery in full action every 64 263 were doing when they picked this spot weekend. Naturally, you’ll be able to relax for their abbey. The church, the classical even more with a Stella after the tour. D abbatial building, and the abbey farm are beautifully situated in the region. 43 261 Step into the In den Rozenkrans inn, a 65 delightful place with a nostalgic feel and 264 an impressive beer menu. 98 Horst Castle C 82 It’s almost as if a knight in shining 265 99 armour could gallop through the gate E 29 on a mighty steed at any moment. The rugged Horst Castle’s history dates back to the 13th century, although the square residential tower was added in the 15th century. The lady of the castle, Maria- 81 83 Anna van den Tympel, gave the castle its present form in the 17th century. 4 Departure A 5 10 Depart on your bicycle from Visit TIP Leuven (junction 10) in the centre Cycling cafés F 80 370 of the city. 12 P 261 Het Wagenhuis Horststraat 28, 3220 Sint-Pieters-Rode • 016 62 35 84 33 503 Brasserie Boeres Kerkstraat 6, 3111 Wezemaal • 016 89 38 19 P Or park your car at the Kessel- 362 Pigeon d’Or Tiensesteenweg 2, 3001 Heverlee • 016 22 17 12 11 Lo Provincial Domain Car Park 3 370 In den Rozenkrans Abdij van Vlierbeek 14, 3010 Kessel-Lo • 016 25 63 03 10 (junction 5) and cycle from here to 263 Recreatiedomein Blauwmolen Blauwmolenstraat 16, 3221 Nieuwrode • 0497 60 40 31 junction 83. You will have to pay 264 Café Bezzeke Sint-Pietersstraat 4, 3220 Sint-Pieters-Rode • 016 62 29 69 362 to park in the Domain’s car park in 265 Cafetaria Sportschuur Holsbeek Sint-Maurusstraat 2, 3220 Holsbeek • 0494 32 20 79 TIP De Coureur Borstelstraat 20 bus 1, 3010 Kessel-Lo • 0485 17 86 95 B July and August. - 4 - - 5 - LEUVEN - WERCHTER Highlights of the route Leuven-Dijle Canal A Rock Werchter X C 36 In 1750, Prince Karel Van Lorreinen turned The Rock Werchter X Experience About rock gods KILOMETER the first spade of earth to signal the start Centre tells the story of the annual of the construction of this canal between Rock Werchter rock festival by means Leuven and Mechelen. It’s great cycling of posters, facts, images, names, and and other saints on the flat towpaths along the banks. music, of course. And figures, many figures: more than 1,000 concerts, Damien Museum B millions of visitors, and 500 artists from The car-free towpath along the The farm where Jozef De Veuster – better 20 countries. Be sure to take a look at B Leuven-Dijle Canal leads you away 25 known as Father Damien – was born the North West Walls in the Festival in 1840 is now a fascinating museum from the city, to one incredible 99 C Park in Werchter.