Challenging climbs and descents through a beautiful rolling landscape, with stunning views, past a windmill, two watermills, and over an old railway bed in the Zwalm Valley.

Text and photos Stan Verelst

Meeting at the small parking lot at KP 15, at the corner of Groenstraat and Kammeland in Michelbeke. Depart towards KP 23 and immediately start a section of the climb of Berendries. Cycle past the end of the Michelbeke agglomeration sign and the name sign of Sint-Maria-Oudenhove and climb to KP 23. ● Turn left into Kuiterlos, direction KP 19. Ignore side roads and climb past the agglomeration sign of Zottegem and a beautiful chapel to the priority road at KP 19. Follow Oudenhovestraat to the right, heading towards KP 24. At the small intersection, go straight, past the square, towards Zottegem. ● At a building with half-timbering, turn left with the road and then right into Faliestraat, direction Sint-Martens-Lierde. Ignore side roads and cycle along the wide concrete road to KP 24 at the end of the Zottegem agglomeration sign. Go straight, direction KP 89. ● Ignore side streets until you can turn left into Lammerstraat, direction Sint-Maria-Lierde. You cycle past the name sign of Sint-Maria-Lierde and further among the scattered buildings to KP 89. Right turn, direction KP 85. On the right, you get a nice view. ● At the T-junction with a dead end on the right, turn left into a sunken road to the mandatory stop. Go straight into Hoogstraat. Follow this concrete road, past the agglomeration sign of Sint-Martens-Lierde with a beautiful view before you, and continue cycling until you can turn right into Wagenweg. Follow that between the meadows to KP 85. Right turn, direction KP 92, over Tempel.

The Green Path

Ignore side roads and cycle past a chapel and the end of the agglomeration sign of Sint-Martens-Lierde. At the small intersection, go straight, direction Parike. You are now descending with a beautiful view before you. ● At the square with the statue group 'Den Avondklap' and a small chapel on the right, take the cobbled path diagonally to the right and at the next T-junction, again to the right, into Langenbroekweg, past a farm with a chapel Sacred Heart of Jesus. Now follows a delightful cycling stretch through the beautiful open landscape. ● Ignore a side road on the left and cycle at KP 92 straight, direction KP 96. You come out in the bend of a wider asphalt road. Follow that straight until KP 96. Straight towards KP 98 and after the bend turn left into Termergelstraat, direction B&B De Groene Weg. ● Where the wide concrete road bends to the left, cycle straight into Evensveldstraat. Follow this narrow asphalt road until KP 98. Straight, direction KP 51, over a narrow, winding road between the meadows until the T-junction. Before KP 51, you must cycle left. Here we choose our own variant!

Astonishing viewpoint

Right to Verrebeekmolen (1), which is beautifully situated and from where you have a fantastic view of the rolling landscape. Then cycle back to the old railway bed and follow the Mijnwerkerspad to the right until KP 99. Right towards KP 48. You descend with a beautiful panorama before you to the T-junction. Right over Tenbergen, between fields and meadows. ● Bend with the road to the right and continue cycling past an orchard and the 19^th-century road chapel Tenbergen (2), which stands at the vanished access road of Hof ter Bruggen. At the end of the road, turn left into Leinstraat. You are now cycling on a wide concrete road with a huge beautiful view on your right. After café Rozenhof, turn sharply to the right into Maaistraat and you may immediately descend steeply. ● Ignore side roads and enjoy the open landscape. You ride past a pond (on your right) and at the next four-way intersection, turn right into Pieter Hoelmanstraat. After a turn, you come to a four-way intersection with a mirror and an unpaved road to the right. Turn left into Herenhof. Cross the N48 (Ronsestraat) straight and continue to cycle through Riebeke until KP 48. Go straight, direction KP 6. ● It now continues over a concrete road between the meadows, past the name sign of Nederbrakel to KP 6. Diagonally left, almost straight ahead, through Kleistraat. Then take the first street on the left, just after the house with the chapel against the wall and climb over a narrow asphalt road, through the open landscape to KP 46. Follow Burreken, left, direction KP 43.

Trout ponds

At the fork turn right into Perreveld. Climb through the open landscape and scattered buildings, and where it becomes a dead end straight ahead, turn right to KP 43. Straight, direction KP 70. Descend to the priority road (N8) and cross that straight. ● Cycle over the cobbles until the small intersection with the restaurant Den Drijhaard on the left and the church of Zegelsem on the right. Turn left to KP 70. Turn right into Leberg, direction KP 3. You cycle past the Lebergse Trout ponds and climb up Leberg (99 m). ● At the T-junction with KP 3, turn left, direction KP 60. Enjoy the beautiful view and turn, where it becomes a dead end straight ahead, right into Bosseveld. You may start climbing immediately. ● At the end of the road turn right over Armekleie, past 't Hol van Pluto to KP 60. Right, direction KP 7. You cycle past the name sign of Elst, over a wide concrete road to the priority road. Turn left and immediately after, turn right into Vissegem. You cycle past scattered buildings, through an open agricultural landscape and past the name sign of Michelbeke until KP 7.

Under the Koebrug

Turn left, over Rekelberg, direction KP 9. Enjoy the idyllic winding road with a stunning panorama before you. Climb past the name sign of Rozebeke among the scattered buildings back into the inhabited world and continue cycling until you reach the church. ● Cycle past the chapel Our Lady of Peace and turn right at the church with the walled cemetery. Cycle past the statue of the Rider's procession straight into Boembekestraat. Let a road on the left remain and turn left at the fork into Groenstraat. ● Ignore side roads and cycle through the open landscape and along the edge of the forest and the name sign of Roborst until KP 9. Right, through Machelgemstraat, direction KP 11, through the green landscape until the T-junction. Right over Zwalmbeek and along Bostmolen (3) until the T-junction. ● Right, through Slijpstraat until KP 11, with picnic area. Right over Mijnwerkerspad, direction KP 96. You cycle under the Koebrug, which was previously used to transport cows from one meadow to another, and enjoy the beautiful landscape of Nature Reserve Middenloop Zwalm. At KP 96, with Boembekemolen (4) on the left, now Visitor Center of Natuurpunt, you cross a street and follow Mijnwerkerspad straight until KP 15, where you started.