Thunder around Ninove

Windmills, towpaths, unpaved but easily accessible roads and the Dender River are the ingredients of this fascinating tour along the rolling countryside of Ninoof. The eye-catching thing about this trip through the Dender Valley is the Hertboommolen in Onze-Lieve-Vrouw Lombeek, which not only has a tragic history - the miller and the miller's wife were murdered there - but has also become "world famous" in Flanders thanks to the Captain Zeppos series. This 14th century pile mill served as a backdrop. It was given the name Zepposmolen. A museum and visitor centre have recently been opened and the name Hertboommolen has been restored. The mill can be visited free of charge from May to September on Sundays and public holidays from 11am to 5pm. From October to April only on Sundays www.windmolen.be.

1. Start at the parking lot of the pedestrian bridge over the Dender (V) in Pollare. Do not pedal on the bridge, but follow the towpath along the winding Dender to the left, with Appelterre and the Wildermolen on the other side. After 3 km, turn right onto the Zandbergen Bridge and follow the wide Jan de Coomanstraat until you reach the railway. Cross it and turn right at the tavern Loest, direction Ninove. On a triangular square, turn right into the Neerstraat, again above the railway tracks and always straight into the Neerstraat. At the junction of the railway bridge, follow the Nonnenborrestraat on the right until you reach a triangular square, where you turn left into the windmill street. On the other side of the railway you arrive at the Wilderstraat.
2. Our tour turns left here, but first cycle 200 m right towards the Wildermolen (1). Then across the Wilderstraat to the intersection with the Hellestraat. Follow it on the right, at the end of the Hellestraat follow the Paardenveldstraat on the right and a little further on the Kapittelstraat on the left, direction Ninove. On the cobblestones to the N45 motorway. Drive carefully and drive along a small business area to the busy Brakelsesteenweg. On the other side, follow Luipendaalstraat, a narrow field road that is initially unpaved and turns into a paved strip with grass. After the cobblestones, you ignore a street on the left of a farm and pedal to an intersection. Here Melkbos turn right, passed a farm and straight to the crossroads after. At a second fork, with a chapel against a wall on the right, turn left into the Muylemstraat. On the T, with a dead end road to a farm on the left, turn right. Turn left with the road, pass the outer sign, ignore a street on the right and follow zevenkotenstraat. Turn right into Kloosterstraat, then into the first street on the left: Kasteelstraat, with the café De Vijfhoek on the corner. At the intersection with Nederhasselststraat and Smid Lambrechtstraat, straight onto Lebekestraat.
3. Those who prefer to cycle on paved roads continue straight until the Vogelzangstraat-Kerkstraat intersection and follow the Kerkstraat on the right. If you want to stay more adventurous, turn right at the end of the outer settlement, from the Lebekestraat, into the Vijverbroeckstraat, which turns into a paved road. On the T, turn left into Gentsestraat, a gravel road. After an intersection (straight), the road becomes "unpaved", but easy to drive. After the farm chapel, choose the country road to the right of the farm. Back to civilization, you can walk on asphalt again, up to a side street. Just turn right and then lean over the Kerkstraat. Follow it to the right. This is also where the paved variant comes into play. Now follows a less beautiful piece, but necessary to overcome the Dender again. Past the church of Lebeke, a hamlet of Outer, you continue to follow the wide road straight. At a fork you follow the Nieuwstraat, direction Denderhoutem. Past the church at the intersection with Molenstraat and Teerlingstraat straight into Advocaat De Backerstraat, with one-way traffic, except for cyclists. In a chapel, you ignore a street for cyclists on the left, then the Rode Kruislaan on the right. At the crossroads, take the Iddergemsesteenweg on the right, after an old mill hull, towards Iddergem. At the traffic lights, cross the busy N45 and continue through the Hoogstraat. Past the agglomeration sign of Iddergem again traffic lights. Turn right towards the centre, but continue straight, pass the municipal primary school and Hof ter Henne (agricultural products), until you reach the traffic lights. Cross the busy Aalst-Ninove road and continue pedalling towards Liedekerke. After the church at the roundabout, turn right onto Landuitstraat. Cross the railway tracks and pedal to the Dender and lock over a second Dendre. The slightest part is now over. Turn right and follow the towpath, under the Okegem Bridge, until the Dender turns right.
4. Here at the brewery-ice cream parlour and café 't Pleintje, take the Kaaistraat, where den Dikken van Pamel (2) is located, diagonally to the left, away from the Dendre. At the crossroads, follow Lange Kamstraat on the right. Leave Kerkhofstraat and Piezelstraat on the right and keep left. Continue following the Lange Kamstraat, past a farm (KAM). Ignore the Steenbergstraat on the left and continue cycling. The road becomes hollow for a while and it climbs gently. In front of a white farm, turn right and then left into the Molenveldstraat. Beyond the Bunker meadow with a picnic area, you can enjoy a 360° panorama. Pedal further at the intersection with Gasthuisstraat straight on Molenstraat to a priority road. Turn right onto the red bike path. At the fork, choose Brussels to the traffic lights.
5. Cross the Ninoofsesteenweg and climb gently, towards Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Lombeek and the windmill. Ignore a dirt road and then take Molenkauter on the right. Passed a chapel at a crossroads of hollow roads, with the Hertboommolen on the left (3). Continue straight onto Vossenbunderstraat. After a grove, follow the Wijngaardbosstraat on the right at a sign for Gooik. This road is not paved, but easily cyclable, after the café Den Haas (4). Up to the intersection with Berchembos and straight. Continue following the Woestijnstraat, pass a farm, meadows with an orchard and on the left the Neigembos. The Woestijnstraat becomes Nellekensstraat. Further between loose buildings and fields. At a fork, you stay right and continue cycling "below". At the end of the Nellekensstraat, turn left into the Ternatstraat until you turn a fork. Leave the Steenstraat on the left and turn right and immediately left, into Kruisstraat, with a large crucifix at the corner. You pedal to Halle. At the sign indicating the end of the Meerbeke agglomeration, turn right onto Hoendersveld. At the end, turn left (Dokstraat) towards Tenberg, then right. Cross the Walputbeek, ignore the Walstraat on the left and take the paved path from the church to the left of the chapel in the bend of the chapel with several statues of saints. Between the fields, towards the church of Meerbeke, with a beautiful chapel on the right. The path ends in the Nieuwstraat. Turn left until you reach the traffic lights. Cross the Halsesteenweg and continue through Hemelrijk, continue the Brielstraat until you reach the traffic lights on the Edingsesteenweg. Cross it and follow the Heireweg on the other side. Past the Denderwindeke agglomeration sign at the first real intersection, turn right (Neuringen), direction Pollare. Between some spacious buildings, past the sign with the end of the agglomeration of Denderwindeke, to a crossroads (to the right of Ninove). Here you choose Echel directly. Turn left into a chapel (Hoogstraat). Go down to the village of Pollare and follow this street on the left until you can turn right into Schuitstraat. The starting point is now nearby.