R - Diksmuide - R

🚴‍♂️ Race bike route: Along Fronts, Fields & Stories – 85 km through the heart of the Westhoek
Where every pedal stroke brings together nature, history, and silence.

📍 Start & finish: Roeselare
📏 Distance: ± 85 km ⛰️ Elevation: ± 380 m
💪 Difficulty: ★★★☆☆ – Average (lightly hilly terrain)
🕒 Duration: 3.5 to 4.5 hours (depending on pace and breaks)
🚴‍♀️ Type: Loop route – ideal for an active day trip

🛣️ Route description: A loop full of nature, memory, and peace

🚦 Roeselare – Straw Route – Passendale – Goudberg

You depart along the Straw Route, a former railway turned into a bike highway. Smooth, traffic-free, and perfect to get into a rhythm.
After a few kilometers, the rolling landscape of the Westhoek appears. In Passendale, you cycle along the echoes of the Great War. A short climb to Goudberg rewards you with an impressive view over fields and frontlines of the past ⛰️🌾.

🕊️ Langemark – Bikschote – Steenstrate – Canal Ieper-IJzer

Using quiet agricultural roads, you reach Langemark-Poelkapelle, with the German military cemetery as a solemn memorial point.
In Bikschote, you pass several monuments for fallen soldiers. Then you arrive at Steenstrate, where the Ieper–IJzer canal welcomes you with smooth asphalt, reed edges, and tranquility. Ideal for picking up speed with a view of the horizon 🌿🚴‍♂️.

🪖 From Raemdonck – Three Canals – De Knocke – IJzer

Worth a stop: the monument of the Van Raemdonck brothers, brotherhood in marble and meaning.
You wind further via Three Canals to the nature reserve De Knocke, where nature covers the wounds of the past. Here you feel the silence at every meter 💚.

🏛️ Diksmuide – IJzerdijk – Dodengang – Paxpoort

Welcome to Diksmuide – the historical and emotional center of this ride. You ride past the IJzertoren, the Peace Monument, and the Dodengang: a remarkably preserved WWI trench, tangible and moving.
A perfect place for a break or lunch at the cozy Italy Square 🏰🍽️.

🌳 Beerst – Arboretum Koekelare – Ruidenberg – Edewallebos

You leave the city and roll through Beerst towards Koekelare, where the Arboretum awaits: a hidden gem with rare tree species and an almost magical peace.
The route takes you further along Ruidenberg and the intimate Edewallebos – short, shaded stretches to inhale nature once more 🍃.

🚴‍♂️ Kortemark – Hooglede – Ter Betse – De Most – De Ruiter – Roeselare

The return trip takes you over lightly rolling terrain via Kortemark and Hooglede. Through charming hamlets like Ter Betse and De Most, you ride towards De Ruiter, after which you turn back onto the Straw Route – a straight line towards your endpoint in Roeselare. Wind at your back? Ideal to finish in style 💨.

🌟 Highlights along the way

🔹 IJzertoren & Paxpoort – Peace symbol in the heart of the Westhoek
🔹 The Dodengang – Authentic WWI trenches by the IJzer
🔹 Canal Ieper–IJzer – Flat asphalt and endless views
🔹 Monument Van Raemdonck & Fiévez – Brotherhood in stone
🔹 Arboretum Koekelare – Rare flora in a hidden park
🔹 Passendale & Goudberg – Historical highlights with panoramic views

📋 Practical overview

📍 Starting point: Roeselare city center or station
🚴 Bike type: Race bike
🧭 Navigation: Based on GPX (no signage)
🍽️ Break suggestions:
– Diksmuide (market square)
– Koekelare (center)
– Passendale (small cafe)

🎯 Why choose this route?

✅ Historical depth without losing the rhythm
✅ Variety between pace and reflection
✅ Quiet roads, wide landscapes, and meaningful stops
✅ Perfect for solo adventurers or cycling groups seeking more

🎒 Extra tips for the journey:
📸 Take your time at the Dodengang & IJzertoren – impressive and photogenic
💧 Ensure enough drinks – long stretches without supplies
🌬️ Expect some wind along the canal – but also a lot of cycling pleasure

Looking for a route with a story, a heartbeat, and breathing space?
Then Along Fronts, Fields & Stories is your next classic.
Saddle up, open your heart – and ride with respect and rhythm.
 

Cheers and good legs! 🚴‍♂️🕊️🇧🇪