Tour of Zoersel

We cycle around Zoersel and discover successively a 19th-century Forest House, the Drieboomkensberg, the old clay pit Klokkeven and Zoerselhof, a classicist castle from 1787.

Meet at junction 93 (V), near the Boshuisje. By bike you leave for 89. At inn De Wandeling, turn right and follow the Schegelbaan. Ignore Heiblok on the left and turn left on the T. You now cycle through the Berkemei. Turn right at the crossroads. You follow Hooidonkeinde to the end. Follow the Low Road to the left. Keep following the Low Road, without caring about side roads. At the end, turn left into Heideweg. Also turn left into the Krimveldweg, cross the Driesheide (Halle village) and drive diagonally left in De Bergen. Turn right into the Sniederspad. At the end you will come to junction 89. At the St. Joseph's Chapel you cross straight over (Liefkenshoek) into the Watermill. To the left you turn back into the Sniederspad, which turns into a forest path. At junction 90, turn left, towards junction 63. Keep following the Liersebaan until you reach the busy Turnhoutse baan. Cross and follow the cycle path to the right. At house number 73 you cycle into the Mathias Joostenslaan. Pay close attention to the signage and cycle along the Cornelissenslaan, the Kerkhoflei, the Heimeulenweg and a beautiful church path to the Jukschotstraat. Follow it to the right.
2. Cross the Bethaniënlei and cycle to junction 69 and continue straight until junction 47. Turn right on a wide newly constructed bike path to 48. There you go back to the right. On a road full of pits you drive towards 49. At the first intersection you have to go straight, but you can take a look on the right at Drieboomkensberg (1), a pilgrimage site located on a land dune, dedicated to Our Lady of the Fever. You are here in Westmalle. You continue cycling along the edge of the forest and meadows until junction 49. At this intersection, follow the Geuzenstraat to the left. You cycle between the meadows and the fields towards 65. At the end of the Geuzenstraat turn right and at the junction with a chapel from 1937 you cycle left and follow the Heidsiebaan. You bolt along the Bosrandhoeve and the Paaljesdreefhoeve. Past Brecht's nameplate you cycle along the Westmallebaan and the road widens. At the Brechtse Heihoeve you are at junction 65 and follow the Legeheideweg to the right, direction 66. You cycle past the Legeheidehof and a poultry farm and arrive at the N133 Brecht-Westmalle. Follow it carefully to the right until you can turn left a few hundred meters further into Groot Veerle. You cycle away from the crowds, through an agricultural landscape. At the T-junction, follow Kraaienhorst to the right (GUUT). The dirt road can be quite muddy. At the crossroads you cycle straight ahead. First between the meadows, then through a forest to junction 66. Turn left towards 84. You now cycle again on asphalt and bolt past farm 't Guut and the Venhoeve to the N135 Sint-Lenaarts-Oostmalle. Follow it a few hundred meters to the right on the wide bike path, separated from the roadway by concrete blocks.
3. Between a farm and a villa, turn left into Klokkeven. The street is named after the eponymous fen that is located next to it. It is an old clay pit where nature can take its course. At the Klokkeven (2), which you can see through the trees, turn right into Heikant-Oost. You reach the Rijkevorsel–Oostmalle road and follow it to the left on a new cycle path. Then take the Senator Coolsdreef diagonally to the right. An asphalt road that turns into an unpaved, but easily drivable road with few pits. Between the trees you can see the tower of castle Het Looi on the left. You don't have to go that far, because at junction 84, turn right and cycle on a winding road, direction 83. You bolt past the Meerlehoeve and follow the T Grote Driesen to the right. That street turns into the Merksplassebaan. At the intersection with the Talondreef and the Geurtsebaan you will arrive at junction 83. Cycle towards 52. Carefully cross the N12 Antwerp–Turnhout and continue through the Bloemenstraat. At the first intersection you have to turn left. Continue along the Speelhoven, Paepenschildeken, cross the St.- Lenaartsebaan to the left, the Pastoor de Molderlaan and on the right a church road. Cross the Antwerpsesteenweg at the bus station and enter the gate. The dirt road passes Het Koetshuis and the Lierselei. Cross it and ride on the cycle path along the Herentalsebaan.
4. Follow the cycle path until you can enter the first street on the right, the Salphensebaan, next to tavern 't Salfenhof. Follow it without caring about side roads. Past the water treatment plant, the road is unpaved and you cycle on a dolomite cycle path. From junction 52 follow the unpaved path to junction 91 (in rainy weather it is better to take the paved roads via junction 54). Continue cycling straight ahead towards 92, through a residential area with loose buildings. You reach the N14 Lier-Zoersel. Cross it carefully and follow the cycle path to the left on the other side. Then turn right into Zoerseldreef. This leads you to the beautiful Zoerselhof (5) with beautiful gardens. Here you are at point 92. Turn left, direction 93. Via the Achterste Hoeven and a chapel, you cycle along a narrow path to the Warandelaan. It takes you to the Groot Boshuis (6) from 1828. Now follow the Zoerselbosdreef to the right and ignore all side streets. At the intersection with the Ten Hoflaan, you drive into the Zoerselbos. A dolomite path takes you to the Boshuisje and the junction 93.