Cycling along four canals

Meet in Balen-Wezel at the bridge over the Beverlo canal near Nyrstar, formerly Vieille Montagne. Departure towards 58. At the roundabout go straight ahead. Past the church of Balen-Wezel turn left into Kerkstraat and then right into Boslaan. At the first intersection turn left, at the next right and then straight on until junction 58. Turn left, direction 59. At the end of the Brouwerijdreef turn right, through the Meidoorndreef, a gravel road. On the T turn left, continue between the meadows, cross two streams and continue towards the water tower. The gravel road turns into an asphalt road.

On the T turn left and continue until you turn right onto the 17th Esk. Light Flying Avenue in. You cycle past chip shop 't Enneke, tavern-restaurant De Kei, Aeroclub De Keiheuvel and riding school Keiheuvel. Along the other side of the road is a beautiful wooded dune area. At the on2 roundabout go straight ahead, past restaurant De Wascuyl and then left into the Nieuwendijk, through the forest until junction 59. Turn right, past café De Boereschuur until junction 07.

Turn left, direction 24. Follow Konijnenberg through the forest and between meadows to the end. Turn left and at the first intersection turn right onto Peer Luytendijk. The narrow asphalt road winds between meadows and hedgerows. You cycle through nature reserve De Vennen. At a fork, continue to follow the Peer Luytendijk to the right. Beyond the football field of FC Cools you ignore Wolfsdonken on the left. Cross the intersection with the chapel and cycle past the white Vredehoeve to junction 24 on the Antverpialaan. Turn right, direction 32, along the great white Lieve Heer until you reach the stone road on Leopoldsburg
Cross over and take the Visbeekstraat next to the Heihoef chip shop. Winding around a farm, cross the railway and cycle on to the crossroads with the brick chapel of Our Lady. of sorrows and node 32. Turn left, direction 39. Don't worry about side roads and keep following Bruine Kolk. It turns into the Reigerstraat and you cycle past the Heide Hoeve and Hof ter Heide. Then you cycle along the Grote Heideweg, past the Honda-Park to junction 39.

Turn left, direction 277. The signage is now blue and white. So you are in Limburg. Past the Oostham nameplate at the first intersection turn left into Gerhees. At the next intersection turn right, still Gerhees along the Bosrand. Always straight on to the quadrangle with straight ahead unpaved. Turn right onto the Kol verdijk and at the crossroads with this road left into the forest. At the fork on the left between poles into the forest. Again between poles and on to a T. Turn left. Ignore the Tunnelstraat on the right and turn right at the end of the Asdonckstraat into the Engenstraat, again a bit car-free.

At junction 277, at the memorial to Sergeant Goetz, cycle straight ahead, towards 555. Turn right with the Engenstraat. At the first intersection you come to junction 555. Now towards 278 over a narrow asphalt - road for cyclists and agricultural vehicles. Cross two more intersections and head into the forest. When you get out, you're back in civilization. On the T turn right, past some villas and then car-free through the forest on a gravel road.

Cross a wider road and continue cycling next to a football field. At the end turn right onto the cycle path. You now meander through the forest and past a picnic area to an asphalt road. Turn left, on the unpaved cycle path. Past swimming pool De Merel and between poles further through the Domain Forests of 't Zand. On the T at a house turn left, along the edge of the forest and car-free through the forest to the Hamsesteenweg. Cross over and take the Voetsveldweg. At the intersection with Eindestraat, turn right into the forest.

At junction 278, follow the old railway bed of line 17 (Diest - Beringen-Mijn) to the right, direction 339. You cycle through the forest, cross a few streets and arrive in Ham at a roundabout with a large miner's lamp and a memorial plaque for the miners of Ham, who used to work in Beringen-Mijn. Continue to follow the old railway bed along the centre of Kwaadmechelen until junction 339. Turn left, direction 338, until the Albert Canal. You follow that to the right for a moment.

Where the Schoten-Dessel-Kwaadmechelen canal flows into the Albert Canal, turn right and follow this canal. The rest of the tour now goes along canals. You cycle under some bridges and can enjoy the Gerhoeven-De Rammelaars nature reserve on the other side of the canal. At junction 338 you continue along the canal to junction 38, near the Olmense Zoo. The signs are green and white again. You are back in the province of Antwerp.

Continue straight until junction 33 at the Olmsebrug, near the center of Olmen. Continue cycling straight ahead, towards 57, under the bridges of Balen-Hoolst and Balen-Neet and past a port area. During the week you sometimes have to pay attention when ships are unloaded. Immediately afterwards under a railway bridge to junction 57. Continue to follow the canal until junction 53 at the Gompelbrug. Choose 52, cycle across this bridge and drive back to the canal. At junction 52 turn left, direction 51. Where a gate closes the towpath, you leave the dike. Follow the winding cycle path through the forest and past transport company Gheys until you reach the canal again. Intersecting canals Pass under the Zuiderring and continue to follow the canal at junction 51, direction 50. At a beautiful picnic area you reach junction 50. Continue straight ahead, direction 73. Under the bridge of Sluis, near the Zilvermeer, with a beautiful view of Zilvermeerhaven Port Aventura on the other side. Continue cycling past the Molse Waterski Club to junction 73 on sas 4, at the intersection of the canals Schoten-Dessel-Kwaadmechelen and Herentals-Bocholt. Cross the sas via the seesaw bridge, direction 74. Turn right and cycle past the Sas 4 tower. Climbing it is a must, for the breath-taking view of the Molse Merengebied. Then cross the Dessel-Kwaadmechelen canal to junction 74.

Choose direction 75 and cycle along the Pancake Boat (choice of 285 different traditionally prepared pancakes), Mokka (Molse Kano and Kajak Club) and De Klepde Klipper (across the street) to the Bailey bridges with junction 75. Cross the bridges and follow the canal to the left, direction 260 and Blauwe Ke. Along three axes you reach junction 260 in the hamlet of Blauwe Kei with a tavern of the same name. The signage is again blue and white. Follow the Beverlo canal to junction 267. Continue cycling towards 268. Below the dike is tavern De Withoef. Dive under the Zuiderring and a railway and continue cycling straight until you reach the starting point at Nyrstar, also junction 268 of the Limburg cycle route network.