The tour of Tielt

The region around Tielt in West Flanders is a real mill country. When you say windmills, you also say wind. And of course it can blow from all directions... In any case, you will meet some mills that are still in excellent condition and you will hop over gentle hills and along wide panoramas.

1. You leave at the church of Marialoop, a hamlet south of Tielt. With your back to the church, you cycle to the left through the Steenovenstraat until you turn left into the Lostraat, a narrow, rural asphalt road. At the fork, keep right and cycle to Gentstraat. On the left is the Herentmolen, a stake mill on a tower. Left. After about 2 km you cross the intersection with the N327, Wakkensteenweg, and at the next intersection take the Veldstraat on the left. After two fairly sharp bends you cycle right along with the Veldstraat. At the stop traffic sign, turn left into Tieltseweg. Here on the corner is a children's hotel. Continue straight until you reach a T-junction where you first turn right and then almost immediately left into the Dentergemstraat. Take the Woestijnbosstraat on the left and climb up to the Poelbergmolen (1726). Continue cycling to the T with a Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. Right. Let yourself be bulbs and turn right into the Mankemerriestraat. You cycle around the Poelberg. Ignore a side road on the left and follow the Wielmakerstraat to the left at the intersection. Don't worry about side roads, cross a railway and continue cycling until you reach the busy N35 in Tielt. Cross it at the lights and follow the Galgenveldstraat through an SME zone to the first quadrangle. Turn right onto Kanegemstraat. Cycling between fields and meadows you take 2.3 km further on a small quadrangle, on the left the Ondankstraat. Follow it straight on until you reach the Tielt–Aalter road. Cross that road, this is the Ruiseledesteenweg, and continue your way on the other side through the Ervestraat.
2. You cycle through a meadow landscape with pollard willows. At the junction with the Damstraat, continue to follow the Ervestraat diagonally to the right. You stay in the Ervestraat until the T-junction with the Kleine Ruiseledestraat where you turn right. At the next T-junction you leave the Kleine Ruiseledestraat because you have to turn left through the Waterwalstraat. Keep following straight ahead. In the distance you can see the white Knock mill of Ruiselede and on the right an old mill hull. On the T you can read that you are from the Watervalstraat. Cycle to the left in the Abeelstraat towards Schuiferskapelle. Keep following until you reach the village bowl of Schuiferskapelle. Along the way you will pass the Brakeveld chapel and an old mill hull. In the village bowl you keep the church on the left. Two hundred meters further there is a name sign with Jan Vinckestraat and there you cycle left in the Burgemeester A. Guilbertlaan, direction Wingene. After 2 km you will arrive on the Tielt–Wingene road. Follow it to the left and take the second right, the Bergmolenweg until a fork in the road that looks like a crooked quadrangle. In front of you is the Vijfpachtgoenstraat. Follow it a few pedal strokes to the right and then steer immediately left in the Nachtegaalstraat. Keep following until you reach the Turkeijensteenweg that crosses you to cycle through the Schuiferskapellestraat to Pittem.
3. Just before the mill, at the T-junction with gravel road, follow the Schuiferskapellestraat to the left. Then take the Kokerstraat on the right and follow it to the end. Just left and immediately right into the Eikeldreef. At the first intersection, with a one-way street straight ahead, follow the Kauwstraat to the right. At the end turn left. Now you can cycle 2 km straight ahead. Cross the railway, dive under the ring and continue cycling until you can take the Claerhoutmolenweg on the left. Follow this winding road and turn left on the T. Pedal straight ahead and take the first street on the right, this is the Beukboomstraat. Keep cycling straight ahead, follow Kazandstraat to the left, until you come to a T. Turn right into the Vijfstraat and then continue cycling straight ahead. Cycle up to the Tieltsebaan. Cross it and keep following the Vijfstraat on the other side until you reach the Marialoopsteenweg. Left. After 1 km you are back in Marialoop.