Helkijn-Zandvoorde-Helkijn along the language border

This bike tour for road cyclists runs along the Dutch-French language border (see also https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taalgrens_in_België) from Helkijn to Zandvoorde and back. Highlights include the Scheldt Valley, the bike path along the Leie/Lys, the Balokken, and the surroundings of Zandvoorde. The outbound journey mostly takes place in Dutch-speaking areas, while the return route traverses French-speaking areas, generally as close to the border as possible, but sometimes the route crosses the border and more scenic paths are chosen. I have now cycled the language border in 10 stages from the Three-Country Point to the North Sea. See the comments for links to all 10 stages.

The tour is suitable for racing bicycles. However, you will find a few hundred meters of semi-paved path along the Scheldt at Helkijn and poor road surfaces along the Spiere Canal in Wallonia.

The start is in Helkijn-Helchin, a municipality with facilities. You can park here at the side of the road. You cycle directly to the bike path along the Scheldt. After a stretch of asphalt, there is also a piece (approximately 1100 m) of semi-paved path. Shortly after the Herinnes lock and before the turn-off of the Spiere Canal, you turn off from the Scheldt towards Spiere. You continue over land to the Trimaarzate bike path along a former railway line. You cycle around Mouscron over slightly hilly terrain. You take a small corner of this municipality in Wallonia to reach the first Three-Country Point of Flanders-Wallonia-France. Afterwards, you ride parallel to the border towards Menen. Along the way, you also cross the A14 at the border crossing point. In Menen, you cross the canalized Leie and enter the bike path. After the center, you follow an old meander and travel a bit through an industrial area before coming out again along the Leie. A nice bike path along the Leie takes you as far as Wervik (where there were some road works by the bridge). Along the church, you come back to the Leie and cross it after the Balokken, a nature reserve between the canalized Leie and an old meander. You cycle along the Balokken and cross the Leie again before reaching the second Three-Country Point. Here, you enter the municipality of Comines-Warmeton/Komen-Waasten only to leave shortly after. You now cycle away from the river to Zandvoorde. It starts to get a bit hilly here. In Zandvoorde, you will find a military cemetery from World War I and a bunker from the same era. From Zandvoorde, you return to the Leie via a covered ski center towards Comines. Here, you cross the Leie into France to the town of the same name. Through development, you cycle to Wervicq-Sud. Here, you head to the bike path along the Lys (as the Leie is named in French), which becomes a nice bike path after a short stretch with a poor road surface. By shortcutting an old river arm, you cycle a bit through Flanders. In Menen, you ride through the Barakken district south of the Leie until you reach the border, which runs through the development. You enter Halluin and then follow the border over slightly hilly land to Mouscron/Moeskroen. Here you re-enter Belgium. Over, among other things, a stretch of cobblestones, you head into the center. You continue to the Château des Comtes at the edge of the center. Afterwards, you cycle through an industrial area to the outskirts. Through calm countryside, you head to Dottignies. Nearby lies the Canal de l'Espierres (Spierekanaal). Here, you follow the bike path along the canal, which is not particularly good in Wallonia. In Flanders, it gets better. Shortly thereafter, you arrive at the Scheldt. You cycle along this until the first town in Wallonia, where you cross the Scheldt and head north back to the starting point Helkin.

Gastronomy is available at several locations, especially Wervik, Menen, Comines, and Mouscron.