Marking route

Although the river Mark is only 28 kilometers long, over the years it, along with its tributaries, has shaped a beautiful, gently rolling landscape with many lovely valleys. Your cycling route runs parallel to the great bend that the Mark describes in the Pajottenland, on the way to and from the Walloon province of Hainaut. The Mark begins and ends its course as Marcq: the source is located in Enghien (Edingen) and the river flows into the Dender near Deux-Acren (a municipality of Lessines). The most important tributaries of the Mark along the cycling route are the Rasbeek, Onscallebeek, Hemebeek, Elfkens-Meersbeek, Beverbeek, Plasbeek, and Wijzenbeek. Galmaarden is, of course, also known for its folkloric Pauwel festival, held on the Sunday before or after January 25th.

SIGNAGE
Hexagonal signs with blue letters. You will follow the shortened version of this route from Tollembeek (after 32 kilometers). There is no signage on the two-kilometer stretch between Tollembeek and Galmaarden, but you will almost always go straight, as you will notice in the route description.

SAFETY
You mostly ride on narrow, rural roads with few dangerous intersections.

Almost good asphalt and concrete roads everywhere. Nowhere is traffic-free.

RECOMMENDED STARTING POINT
Municipal meeting center Baljuwhuis, in the market square of Galmaarden.

INFORMATION
- VVV Markvallei, Baljuwhuis, Brusselstraat 1, 1570 Galmaarden, 054 58 91 67, markvallei@toerismepajottenland.be, www.galmaarden.be.

BIKE RENTAL
- Bike rental service De Fietshal, Vanderpeereboomstraat 80, 1500 Halle, 02 360 25 55, www.jobhuis.be.

FOOD AND DRINK
- Hof ter Bruggen, Bakker 4, 1570 Galmaarden, 054 56 64 83.