In the cart trail of Ambiorix

Pure nature has been the hallmark of Limburg for many years. Great for a piece of off-road cycling. However, Tongeren, Belgium's oldest city, has much more to offer. At the beginning of our era, Tongeren was an important Roman colony, protected by a city wall with round towers and defensive moats. With a name that refers to the five Roman burial mounds, tumuli, the Route of the Tumuli will put you under the spell of the past. It consists of two loops: a 30km blue base loop and two additional red loops that you may or may not connect so that the total distance reaches 45km. In Papenbos and Sint-Huibrechts-Hern, cyclists who are not small can also switch to the steegkes van Hoeselt-Bilsen mountain bike route.

1. Immediately after leaving the sports and municipal park De Motten, you dive into the preserved nature reserve De Kevie, the landscape park of the Oostelijke Jeker. According to the WWF, this collection of peaty depressions, wet hay meadows, reed necklaces and flowering swamps is among the most beautiful in Belgium. On the drained arm of the Jeker, you then pass in front of the Blaarmolen, whose furthest traces date back to 1235. The current building that houses a rye and malt mill dates from the 17th century and has remained virtually intact since the diversion of the Jeker in 1968.
2. In the direction of Ketsingen, we approach the source area of the Demer where hard parts await us. Between Berg and Alt-Hoeselt, along the Tongeren-Hasselt railway line, we catch our breath and get acquainted with the hilly landscape of Haspengouw in the wine forests. Here is also the junction of the first red loop that leads to Sint-Huibrechts-Hern, Vrijhern, Overrepen and Neerrepen. On this loop, in the Fonteinbeek valley, the 14th century water tower of Rooi is on the program, which was completely surrounded by ponds until the 18th century.
3. The second red loop makes a detour to Piringen and Widooie. The authentic agricultural village of Piringen consists mainly of typical Haspengouw block farms that are concentrated around a few streets. Back on the blue road, we meet one of the five tumuli that Tongeren has just before the Roman pavement. A tumulus is a burial mound from the 1st to 3rd century made of artificially elevated earth, which can sometimes reach up to twenty meters high.
4. The course then finds its way along the Jeker with the Jekerhippodroom on the other side, the famous racecourse where international trotting races are held. Back in the center of the city of Ambiorix, the architecture of the cultural complex "Velinx" builds a bridge between the past and the future.