Flanders vegetable basket

A bike ride between the Senne and the Willebroek canal, through the open landscape where quite a few gardeners have their place. You cycle past fields with coal, leeks, potatoes and here and there even asparagus.

The starting point is the provincial domain Vrijbroekpark just outside Mechelen, near the Brusselsepoort. You can park your car at the parking entrance in the Ridder Dassainlaan. At the parking lot, leave to the left in the direction of the visitor center. At the crossroads you keep left and at the exit you follow right to the Hombeeksesteenweg. Follow it to the right, the E19 underneath, until you cross the Zenne bridge. Cross carefully to the left, after 50 m you dive into the tunnel under the railway. On the other side you come to the shore of the Eleghem pond, a former sand extraction pit. Now all kinds of water sports are practiced. You drive to cycle junction 10 then down towards left pond to junction 45. An unpaved path takes you around the castle of Relegem to the Zemststeweg via the Konijnenstraat which you follow to the right to the Bankstraat in Hombeek.
2. You cross the railway and cycle towards the neo-Romanesque St. Martin's Church with its beautiful sandstone tower via 'Centrum' (Gemeentestraat). At the end, cycle to the left of Hombekerkouter before the church and take leibeekstraat on the first left. You follow it straight ahead via the Boerenkrijgpad and that's how you arrive in the Bosbesstraat. You continue to follow this street until you reach the Moerbeistraat which you turn right. On the T, at the end of the Moerbeistraat, take the Kapelseweg on the left. You keep following it, over the railway and on the right past the farm 't Hoefijzer. On the left in the Kleinestraat there is a horse dairy where you can also buy an ice cream. However, our tour goes straight ahead Kapellebaan, past the farm 't Hoefijzer. At the end of the road you cycle further to the right under the railway bridge. Immediately afterwards, turn right into Expoelstraat.
3. A little further, on the hamlet of Oxdonk, you will pass Old Castle Koningsteen, you can go there to reflect or recharge your batteries. Follow the Oxdonkstraat to the right until you come to the left at the Haaksdonkweg that you step into. You cycle through the Haaksdonkweg to the Willebroekse Vaart (officially: Zeekanaal Brussel – Schelde), the oldest canal in the country. The excavation work began in 1550. You follow the canal to the right until you reach the high concrete drawbridge of Tisselt. You take the street on the right past the church, this is the Blaasveldstraat.
4. First through the buildings, then through the open fields you reach the hamlet of Krekelenberg (is not indicated anywhere). In the small alley with the same name (attention: at the first roundabout straight ahead to the next roundabout, the N16 clean and via the Blaasveldstraat) you cycle to the intersection with the Krekelenberg and Klaterstraat which you turn right. You cycle past the castle Krekelenberg, although from here you can only view the back of the outbuildings. 100 m further you carefully cross the diverted N16 for the second time. On the other side you follow the Heidestraat to the first intersection where you turn left into the Heirstraat. You cycle to the next intersection where you take the Bleukenweg straight ahead. You turn left into the Kouterweg. At the end of this you cross the Molenbeekstraat and follow it to the left until the busy Steenweg on Blaasveld where you have to turn right.
5. Bite your teeth, after 200 meters you will arrive at the Senne where you can follow the dike path. There is an asphalt path on both banks. Choose the side out of the wind, the Senne sometimes dares to spread a bad smell. It is certainly worthwhile to cross the bridge and take a look at the village square of Heffen with its neo-Gothic Sint-Amandus church with its 14th-century tower. Time seems to stand still here. At Leest you cross the Leestsesteenweg. On the high dike you continue cycling towards Hombeek. At the intersection of the dike path with the Hombeeksesteenweg, you cycle left back to the Vrijbroekpark. In the park you will find two cafeterias where you can end the bike ride in a pleasant way.