Biking through Belgium

Our bike rides around Munich and Florence reinvigorated my desire to see more small towns on foot or by bike.  And, if you’re going to bike abroad, the north of Europe is definitely the place to do it!   Biking is a way of life here so they have bike lanes in the cities, plenty of bike rental spots and parking lots for bikes.  They even subsidize long distancebike routes that are well marked, well maintained, and well-utilized.  Trains have special bike cars so you can carry your bike on and off.  The countries of Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium and, to some extent -Germany, are all very good for bikers. 

My rental bike in the bike car - apparently it needs its own ticket, whoops
Incidentally, biking amenities usually double for handicapped folks

So I found myself biking around the countryside of the Flemish portion of Belgium for a gew days, using Julia’s flat in Antwerp as a home base.  I’d bike for a day, stopping to see the little towns or cities along the way, and then take the train back to Antwerp, with my bike in tow. It started badly, but quickly turned into one of my favorite weeks so far.

Gratefully, the weather in Belgium was significantly warmer than it was in Amsterdam.  Although I never saw the sun, it was still pleasant.    

Day 1 - Antwerp to Dendermonde

I set out from Antwerp with the intention to pedal to Ghent.  But I am pretty sure I took a wrong turn getting out of Antwerp because I ended up getting a tour of a very industrial area, with not so great bike lanes.  It’s a bad sign when I feel like I’m riding down Highway 225 back in Houston . . . hmm, smells like a refinery!  Antwerp is pretty industrial, but I don’t think this was the bike route I saw marked on the map.  In the meantime, I biked through dingy looking suburbs – sooty and not particularly nice architecture, with deserted streets. 

 I was beginning to question my intention of biking around the countryside, but kept going in the direction of the river until I did run into proper bike lanes.  There was a sad-looking ferry that transported me and a few other bikers and one motorized wheelchair across the river for free - nice.  The ferry dropped us off on the other side, and poof! Instant scenery. The rest of the day was lovely!  

Maybe it’s just that my expectations had been zeroed out during my first hour of biking, but I found that biking along the river was very picturesque and enjoyable. 

This little bar and grill was one of
many along the bike route

Here's the little town where I chose
to stop for lunch - so cute!

Other bikers enjoying the same place

When you see my little yellow bike,
picture me enjoying this view

Clearly Belgium puts a lot of stock in these bike lanes.  The maintenance on them is impeccable - I saw entire crews of guys mowing and weed-eating.  There were several stretches that had series of plaques teaching you about the local history or nature.  Who else operates ferries for free, just for bikers?   I saw everybody from elderly folks out for a jaunt along the canal to packs of hard core bikers drafting off each other.  School kids commuting home or hanging out in town squares were my signal that it was late enough to start heading back to Antwerp.  And, there were little bars and cafes all along the way!  

As I rode, the countryside changed from suburbs to houses even Americans would consider large, to outright country estates.  At one point I saw a castle! I ran out of time before I got to Ghent but it was easy to grab a train from the closest town.  I stopped at Dendermonde and rode back to Antwerp.

Day 2 - Bruges to Ghent

The next day, I took a train to Bruges and learned not to trust the weather man.  Fog had been predicted all day, with no rain.  However, it was raining when I arrived in Bruge.  So I camped out in a coffee shop in the train station, sipping hot chocolate and people watching until the rain passed.  The Belgians take their “warme drinks” very seriously.  There are tea and coffee shops everywhere. 

Bruge is a really cute little town!! I spent the morning and early afternoon there and then took off to Ghent.  Check out the separate post for cities in Belgium for more pictures.  

In contrast to the previous day biking though the countryside, I never got lost on this route and it was even more picturesque.  But it had no restaurants or bars or small towns to speak of along the way.  It was mostly along the canals and through farmland.  I managed to make it to Ghent early enough to snap a few pictures of the famous sites, but did not get to wander around before I had to catch a train back to Antwerp.

Days 3 and 4 - camped out in Antwerp

It rained most of Wednesday and Thursday in Belgium.  So I stayed put in Antwerp, doing some much-needed trip planning.  I am very disappointed that Chiang Mai canceled their lantern release festival by the Bhuddist monks, and I am VERY excited my cousin Andrew agreed to join me in Turkey :)  I saw a few sites in in the city.  Again - See the Cities in Belgium post.

Day 5 - Bruges to Blankenberge

I liked Bruges so much that I went back.  This time, I biked north and west until I ran out of time.  I biked through more farmland and little hamlets like Damme, Dames Steenweg, Lisseweg, and finally arrived in Blankenberge.  This trip was the best of the 3 this week and I wish I had more time to continue on the coastal L1 route.  Again, very well marked with lots of towns to stop in along the way.  

Damme was a cute little town on the canal that used to be the center of shipping in Belgium until it started silting up.  The canal was re-dug on Napoleon’s orders and there is still a cute town hall with 39 bells that played Eidelwiess to announce the hour J

I chose to stop in Lisseweg for a late lunch, where there is a memorial to the WWI vets who died from that town.  Belgium has been on the front lines for both world wars and additions for WWII were just beneath the original pillar.  My hostess at lunch was extremely accommodating, and I enjoyed an enormous 2-course lunch “menu” with hot chocolate at the end for 17 euros.  Life is good.

Blankenberge had the feel of every other ocean-front town I’ve ever been to.  It reminds me more of the east coast beach towns than the gulf coast beach towns.  There was the strand that paralleled the water, and hotels and even a casino to provide entertainment for visitors during peak season.  I didn’t have time to make it to Oostende, but hear that beach town is even nicer.  Instead, I hopped on the train to make it back in time for a late dinner with friends in Antwerp.

All in all, I enjoyed biking through Belgium and would recommend it to anybody looking for a way to visit the country.  

Next stop: A farm outside Mazamet, France