Ride a bike from Schloss Horst to the Vlooybergturm and admire the surroundings from the floating staircase, take a short stop at the Gempemolen and choose something from the menu in Hageland dialect. Conclude the tour stylishly in the carriage house of the Castle of the Red Knight.

Text and photo Stan Verelst

The route

Meeting point at the parking lot of Schloss Horst on Horststraße in Holsbeek (V). You are at CP 65 and ride along the Peerseweg towards CP 98. Diagonally right in the field, you see the Sint-Jozefkapelle (early 19th century) under a linden tree. At CP 98, turn right into Galgenbergstraße until the fork with CP 99. Turn left towards CP 20. You are still riding through Galgenbergstraße and reach Houwaartsebaan. Go straight until the main road. ● Turn left over the dashed bike path and at the small intersection go straight over a narrower asphalt path, past the village sign of Lubbeek, then turn right into Kroonstraat. Follow this until the end. Turn left over the narrow bike path, next to the wide concrete road and past café ’t Lanterreke. You come to the N2 from Diest to Leuven. Cross this straight ahead and ride along Happyland until the intersection with the small chapel at CP 20. ● Ride with a left-right bend straight into Driesweg until CP 66. Turn right towards CP 67, over the hollow Paashofweg and continue past an orchard. At the first fork, turn left. The road is still called Paashofweg. Continue past a large agricultural enterprise until the intersection with a concrete road. Go straight over Tegelbergweg until CP 67. Turn left towards CP 68 via Herendaal. At the fork, turn right into Dellenhofweg. After a wide right curve, turn left into Tombestraat. Follow this until CP 68. Turn left towards CP 19 via Heide. Then turn right into Heideken and continue until CP 19.

Along the Gempemolen

Left next to the Rozemarijnhoeve, towards CP 21. At the T-junction, turn left and then take the first concrete road on the right. At the end, turn left and immediately afterwards right into Paardsweideweg. Don’t worry about side roads and at CP 21 turn left through Heurbeek, towards CP 22. Ignore all side roads and pass the church of Lubbeek until the circular road. Turn right at the first exit, past the church and straight ahead into Binkomstraat. ● Ride down along the grounds of Castle T’Serclaes and then turn left into Molendries. You ride past the end of the Lubbeek settlement sign and re-enter the open landscape. At the fork, choose right into Wauwerdries. ● Continue towards the forest and along the edge of the forest. You come to another road. Right is a dead end. Turn left until CP 22. Go straight until CP 96 a bit further. Turn left through Kareelweg between two ditches towards CP 97. At the fork, turn left and continue until a main road. Turn left and immediately afterwards right into Doelstraat, towards Brasserie De Gempemolen. At the T-junction, turn left and a bit further right to Gempemolen (1), a nice place to linger. Ride along the Gempemolen and cross the Molenbeek over the small bridge. ● On the left, you see the mill wheel. On the other side, turn right between Troostegembos and an orchard. Then turn the first road on the left and continue next to the orchard and between the fields until you reach a wide concrete road. Follow Schubbeek right over the narrow bike path.

Stairs to Heaven

Ignore the side roads and ride past the village sign of Sint-Pieters-Rode Holsbeek until CP 97. Keep the big road diagonally right until CP 74. The road is now called Broeken and you ride past the village sign of Houwaart until you reach the N223 from Aarschot to Tienen. Cross this straight ahead and continue over the dashed bike path. Ignore the side roads, ride past the village sign of Sint-Joris-Winge and a small farm from 1780. Where the wide road turns right into the center of Sint-Joris-Winge, go straight into Motbroekstraat, a narrow asphalt road with sparse development. ● Further back, you ride past an orchard. Ignore a dead end on the left and the asphalt changes to concrete. At the end, follow Dellestraat to the right, left is a dead end. Continue between the fields and along an orchard until the T-junction. Turn left over a narrow concrete road until CP 74. Go straight towards CP 28. ● At Sint-Donatuskapelle (1869), turn right with the road and come to CP 28. Turn left towards CP 27. Continue through the open landscape and between sparse development until a stop sign. Go straight ahead. First, a short cobblestone section and at the fork, turn left over an unpaved path past the Vlooybergturm (2), actually a staircase leading "to heaven", but stops along the way. The view at the top is impressive. There’s also a picnic area.

Cottage with Insect Motif

Continue through a hollow path until CP 27. Turn left through Hellekens, another hollow path, towards CP 73. At the fork with a lone tree in the middle of the road, turn right until a main road. Cross this with a left-right bend as straight as possible and continue through Kruisstraat until you can turn right into Ralisweg. ● Follow this and ride along the sports hall ’t Solveld until the T-junction with CP 73. Turn right towards CP 24. Continue turning onto Lindestraat. Ignore a road on the right and then turn left into a road also called Lindestraat. Caution! There’s only a sign for CP 24 on the road, not where you need to turn. At the end of the road, turn right and at the next fork, turn right again. ● Then turn left with the road onto the main road. Go straight through Berkendreef until the intersection straight into the dead end. Turn left, through a small forest and between sparse development until the small intersection with CP 24. Go straight towards CP 5. You ride between two ditches and turn left at the fork with the road. ● After a small forest, ignore a road on the right and see the E314 on your right. A bit further, you ride past the artisanal bakery Hans and then turn right into Donk. Between two ditches, you ride towards E314. Turn left with the road and ride along a remarkably painted cottage with an insect motif. ● Follow the winding road between the ditches until you come to another road. Turn right until you reach a wide concrete road. Then turn right again until CP 5. Turn left towards CP 46.

Wine Region Liemau

You ride past the village sign of Houwaart and continue along a forest. Ignore all side roads until you can turn right into Solleweg. You ride towards the forest and see a vineyard on the slope. Cross a small intersection and climb through the forest. ● Then turn left into Wijngaardstraat. On your left, you have a beautiful view of the small wine-growing region Liemau (LIEve + MAUrice) (3). Ride through the forest until you reach CP 46. Turn left towards CP 45. You ride down Houwaartsebergweg until a T-junction. Turn left and at the end turn right. You ride over the wide road that you have just followed for about a kilometer and roll over a bike path that is slightly higher than the roadway. ● Ignore the side roads and ride past the settlement sign of Houwaart until CP 45. Go straight towards CP 65. You ride past the church, the primary school, and the town hall of Houwaart built in 1869 until a T-junction. Turn left and immediately afterwards, next to the St. Rochus Chapel, right into Streekweg. ● At the end, cross straight over the busy Aarschotsesteenweg and continue through Luttekoten. You ride past the village sign of Nieuwerode Holsbeek and continue winding between the fields and along the grounds of Schloss Horst. Ride through the forest, cross the Struisbeek and then turn right into Horststraße until the starting point.