Nice bike ride through an open agricultural landscape, over narrow, low-traffic roads between canals, with impressive views, farms, chapels, and a windmill.

Text and photos Stan Verelst

Depart with the church of Sint-Pieters-Kapelle on your left (V) and bend behind the church along the road LA and then RA, towards Gistel. At the first intersection, turn LA into Bazelarestraat, towards KP 52. You cycle past Hoevewinkel ’t Groenselpoortje until you reach the priority road. Cross that RD and continue winding between two canals until you reach the T-junction. ● LA through the open arable landscape with expansive views. Ignore a side road on the left, turn RA before an entrance gate and follow Kapellestraat until you reach the chapel Maria ter Chruyszande with the Chruyszandehoeve at the back. Leave the access road to Poeselhoeve on your right and continue until KP 52. RD, towards KP 53. ● At the intersection with the priority road, follow Korkentapstraat RA. Continue along the bike path until you reach KP 53. RD past the sign for Leke, towards KP 25. Then turn RA into Dwarsstraat. ● Follow this straight road through the open arable landscape, past the Blauwe Steenputhoeve from 1645, and then turn LA into Laagvlaktestraat. You cycle past a sign explaining the Laagvlakte polder, ignore the side roads and continue along the Leke agglomeration sign until you reach the mandatory stop with KP 25. ● LA into Lappersfortstraat, towards KP 78. At the first intersection, follow Moerestraat RA.

Cackling Chicken Museum and Talking Forest

Cycle through the open agricultural landscape, past the sign for Keiem until you reach KP 78. If you cycle 500 meters right here, you will arrive at 't Kakelend Kippenmuseum (1), a children's farm with an educational walking park, a playground, a play barn, and a cafeteria. Our route goes RD, towards KP 12. ● At the mandatory stop, LA through Ramboutstraat, past the sign for Vladslo and Westtrac, a company specializing in the sale and maintenance of agricultural machinery and tractors. At the priority road, RA. Follow the dotted bike path until you reach the intersection with KP 12. RD, towards KP 14. ● You cycle through the Talking Forest, past the German Military Cemetery (2) from WWI, featuring the grieving parents of Käthe Kollwitz. Continue until the intersection with the Torhout - Diksmuide road. RD, towards Vladslo and then turn RA into Limaerstraat. ● Ignore a road on the left and at the T-junction, turn LA onto Gentweg. You cycle past café De Nieuwe Molenhoek, ignore the side streets, ride past the Vladslo agglomeration sign, and see the IJzertoren of Diksmuide in the distance. At KP 14, LA, towards KP 58. You cycle next to the church of Vladslo and ride with a right-left bend, almost RD, into Mariastraat. At the end, LA into Ploegstraat. You come out in the bend of another road, RA, and immediately after that again RA, towards Werken, along the end of the Vladslo agglomeration sign until you reach KP 58. RD until KP 98. LA into Noordstraat, towards KP 22.

140 types of trees

You cycle along a narrow asphalt road between the fields, through the flat, open landscape until you reach the bend of another road. Cycle RD past a chapel through Bovekerkestraat. The left side of the road is asphalted, the right side is cobbled. ● Ignore a side road on the left and right and cycle past the sign for Bovekerke. At the junction by the old signpost, turn RA, towards Bovekerke. The asphalt strip is now on the right, the cobbles on the left. At the next junction, cycle diagonally left, almost RD. At the T-junction at the Bovekerke church, RA and then LA into Populierenweg. ● You cycle past the village school and turn RA opposite café - zaal De Sportvriend, continuing through a residential area. At the intersection, continue RD and at the T-junction, after the end of the Bovekerke agglomeration sign, turn RA. Follow the narrow asphalt road between the horticultural crops until you reach the bend of a concrete road. ● LA and continue winding between scattered buildings until you reach KP 22. LA towards KP 93 and then RA into Zuidstraat. At the T-junction with a dead-end on the right, LA. ● Continue through the agricultural landscape until you reach the intersection with KP 93. LA towards KP 62. Enjoy the open landscape and the beautiful views as you cycle past a small wood until you reach a priority road. Cross that RD and continue through Carrestraat, next to the arboretum with 140 types of trees, until you reach the next priority road (N363). RD, through Westveldweg.

Grains to the mill

Cross an intersection RD and continue until you reach the intersection with KP 62. RD, through Asstraat, towards KP 72. At the T-junction with a dead end on the left, RA. Just after the agglomeration sign of De Mokker, turn RA into Kleine Asstraat. It is one-way, but not for cyclists. ● Follow the street until the end. At the T-junction, LA, past the church of De Mokker, and at the T-junction at butcher shop De Mokker, cycle RD with a right-left bend into Schoolstraat. At the end, RA, past primary school De Lettertuin, through Westmeetstraat. ● At the T-junction, curve with the asphalt road LA. Immediately after, turn into the first street on the right. After the end of the agglomeration sign of De Mokker, continue between two canals, through the open agricultural landscape. After a white farm with a white chapel in front, you come out in the bend of another road. RD, until you reach a priority road. LA and immediately after that RA, over Wulfaertdijk, towards Hovaeremolen. ● At KP 72, at Hovaeremolen (3), LA, towards KP 26. Bend with the road RA and continue along a field chapel until you reach KP 26. RA, through Beekstraat, along Moerdijkbeek until you can turn LA onto Langelysse at KP 36. The Langelysse farm from 1928 stands at the back left.

Ratatouille

Continue past free primary school De Driespan until you reach the intersection with the priority road. RD, next to restaurant De Lysse, towards KP 24. Cycle past Peter Evensgeleed until you reach the T-junction. LA and at the next T-junction, RA, along Reivaartgeleed until you can take the narrow path on the left. ● You now cycle alongside Muizekensgeleed, over a narrow hollow path that after prolonged rainfall almost becomes a mini-stream, until KP 24. RA, towards KP 76. At the intersection, after the agglomeration sign of Zevekote, cycle LA into Schoolstraat and opposite the mirror, RA into Pastoriestraat. ● At the T-junction, LA and then RA along the church of Zevekote until you reach the T-junction with KP 76. LA, towards KP 22, along the church and in the bend of the road to Nieuwpoort, RD, next to restaurant De Ratatouille. Cycle past a white chapel, ignore the side streets, and where the asphalt road bends left, you cycle RD onto the narrow church path. The path turns into a narrow asphalt road. ● At the T-junction, RA and at the next T, at a large agricultural enterprise, LA. Where it becomes a dead end straight ahead, RA and continue winding through the open landscape until you reach KP 22. LA, towards KP 52. You arrive at N369 and follow that over the wide bike path LA until you reach N367. Curve with the bike path LA and continue until you reach the starting point.