Via the Vrijbosroute to the Vredesmolen

Park your car in De Carninstraat
in Staden on the cemetery wall or opposite
the fire station and
cycle to KP 72 on the old railway bed
(V). In this place lie
still traces of the former
Railway 63. Here's where you start
towards FP 73. You bolt past elementary school
't Klavertje and runs on the
turn left at the end of diksmuidestraat.
Here is a sign with old
Photos of the former station of
Staden and explanation about WWI. Bicycle
on the right the railway bed of the
former railway line 63 on. It is now
transformed into a comfortable
cycle path and was given the name Vrijbosroute.
You cycle along the Blommenwijk,
crosses a street with a
right left nod and continue kicking until
on FP 73. Continue straight ahead, direction KP 50.
The road becomes hollow and you bolt under a
bridge through. After that, it continues
between hedgerows. Lie to the left
op2
some beautiful ponds. On FP 50 you stay
cycle straight ahead, direction KP 83. You
crosses a wider concrete road and sees
on the left are the church of Vijfwegen,
and on the right the first leek fields. That
you will often come across on this
journey. • You cross two more roads
and bolt along the former station
of Westrozebeke with opposite
bistro 'The 5 roads' with on the wall
a beautifully painted scene of
an English soldier in front of a steam train
and above it a double-decker bus
the sky. To remember First World War
1914 / 1918 is included as an inscription.
On KP 83 you keep cycling straight ahead,
direction FP 62. On the right you see the Vrijbos
in the distance, on the left a
strawberry field. Then you cycle between
different types of cabbage.
Cross the wide Stadensteenweg and
a little further on the N301 and cycle
to FP 62. During WWI this
railway crossing on the British maps referred to as Namur Crossing.
More information can be found at
an information board. Just past it you can
listening to a 'story pole' (in
Dutch or in West Flemish)
to a story of the
resistance, which at this place in 1944 a
German train derailed. •Bicycle
from this historical point onwards, towards
FP 42. With a big bow you come
on a priority road. Turn right
and after café De Zon, turn left the Gistelhofstraat
in. Follow it up to FP 42 and cycle
straight ahead, direction KP 20. On the
T-junction, at the house with the bell tower,
left into Pottestraat until
on FP 20. Here you choose right, direction
KP 54 and follow langemarkstraat.
At the T-junction turn right and then
Winding further through the open country shelf with here and there a farm up to
on FP 54.
The vegetable garden of West Flanders
Cycle left through the Kwakkelstraat,
direction FP 63. Ignore all side roads
and enjoy the horticultural crops:
zucchini, carrots, all kinds of cabbage,
leek... It looks like the
vegetable garden of West Flanders. On
the intersection with straight dead end,
Turn right onto Kloosterstraat
in. Winding on to the
busy priority road. Turn right and
immediately afterwards, at the first intersection,
turn left until you reach the centre of Merkem.
At the mandatory stop at the
town hall you cycle right and
you pass the church out of the village again.
At the Y-junction on the name stone
Luigems peninsula (war memorial
WWI), keep right and
you get to FP 63.
• Historic extension of 7 km
Bike from K P63 to KP 5 on the
Three Canal Bridge. Don't cycle over it,
but follow the Ieperlee (also canal
Ypres – called Yser) to the right until
on KP 28 on the Knokkebrug over the
Iron. There is an information kiosk and a picnic area.
Now choose the gravel road,
direction FP 21. You don't have to go that far.
Take the first side road on the right and follow
those through the trouser landscape, which during
WWI was under water. You
Cross a stream and turn right.
Ignore all side roads. Beyond the
First farm you bulge over asphalt to
on FP 63.
This loop is part of the walking chip
Along the Merkem canals
from Pasar, but is perfect with
the bike to do. Pasar members can
consult the walking sheet on the website
for more details.
• Bike tour without extension
On FP 63, choose direction FP 56 and sphere
you pass the Beukelaremolen (1) with
modern picnic table and you come further
on FP 56. Turn right again,
through the Oostbroekstraat, direction
FP 86. You continue cycling through the open
landscape up to the N369. Insert that
over and follow the cycle path to the left,
direction Diksmuide. Then take the
first street on the right, the Sneppestraat.
It continues between meadows,
fields and leek fields. Take
then the first road on the left, the
Nieuwe Stedestraat, direction football field
of New City. It goes
now winding and gently undulating
further between potato and leek fields
to FP 86. Turn right, direction
FP 55. You arrive at a wide concrete road.
Don't cycle it, but take it
on the right the narrow asphalt road which is located
of the concrete road. Both
roads are called Woumenstraat. On the
quadruple jump with straight and right
dead end, follow the Zuid-Torhoutstraat
left to FP 55 and then
FP 17, which comes immediately after.
Keep cycling straight ahead, direction
FP 10. You meander up to a priority road
and follow the Stokstraat
to the left, past an AVEVE store
and then turn right into the Torhoutstraat,
along leek fields, plastic strawberry tunnels
and beautiful vistas, up to
on a busy priority road. Stitch
which carefully over and climb up to FP 10. Here you can take a detour
make.
Mills on the route
Turn left towards KP 68 until you reach the
Peace Mill (2). It's worth it
to climb it. You become
then rewarded with an impressive
panorama. Then cycle back to
KP 10 and turn left there, direction
FP 15. Immediately ignore a side road
right and cycle undulating further up to
the first quadruple jump. Turn left, the
Ruyterhoekstraat. At the house on
the corner is a nameplate of
Zarren. Turn right at KP 15, Kruisstraat
in, towards FP 99. Ignore one
road on the right and you come to a priority road
which you follow straight on to
FP 99. Turn right onto Zarren-Lindestraat
in, direction FP 47. You cycle
along the tall, slender Couchez mill
(3), ignores the road to immediately afterwards
Houthulst and cycle further between
fields, meadows, some farms
and a tree nursery up to FP 47.
Continue cycling straight ahead, towards KP 85.
On the left, ignore the Smissestraat and
Continue along a modern
chapel. Don't worry about side roads
and after you remove the nameplate of
Staden has cycled past, there will be
a steep climb into the
hamlet 's Graveneike. There you become
rewarded with a beautiful panorama.
• Ignore the Tolstraat on the right and then
you can descend further to FP 85.
Turn left, direction KP 26. Follow this
winding and gently undulating
road to a priority road. Stitch
cross it and follow the cycle path for a while
to the left. Turn two immediately afterwards
Turn right one after the other and follow the
Hansamestraat along plastic strawberry tunnels,
zucchini and potato fields
to FP 26. Here you spin
turn right and continue cycling up to
FP 21. Turn right again, over the
old railway bed up to FP 72
at the departure point.