The great tour through the Bruges hinterland

Comments by Werner Van Steen (09/2024) - thanks:

- In Aalter you can no longer go under the railway . After junction 3 you come to the railway which you follow via a parallel road to the right until a bridge over the railway. From here to junction 89.

- There is a total of 13 km of unpaved roads ; most of them are gravel paths that are also easy to ride with a racing bike. However, there are also short forest paths that turn into ankle-deep mud pools after rainfall (!)

- The paved roads are very good. Only after Aalter there are a few strips with uneven concrete slabs.

This cycle route covers the Bruges hinterland extensively. It is the synthesis of 5 smaller cycle tours that explore the Bruges countryside in the four cardinal directions and the centre :

- The north of the Bruges hinterland: Damme - Sluis - Lissewege - Uitkerkse polder

- The eastern part of the Bruges hinterland: Bulskampveld - Drongengoed - Kranepoel (Aalter)

- The south of the Bruges hinterland: Bulskampveld - Vorte forest - Poelberg

- The west of the Bruges hinterland: Forest triangle Bulskampveld - Wijnendaelebos - Tillegembos

- Green Belt Bruges - Damme: Centre of the Bruges hinterland

- The Grand Tour of the Bruges Hinterland

Start at the Aanwijs in the Bulskampveld , which we cross to drive via Hertsberge and the Kampveldbos via Oostkamp to Steenbrugge .

Via Assebroek and past Sijsele it goes to the picturesque Damme.

At Moerkerke we cross the Leopold Canal and via Lapscheure we cross the border to Sluis.

We return along the Damse Vaart and continue south of Westkapelle to pass the Southern Inlet Dock .

We cross Dudzele and cycle along the Boudewijn Canal to the white village of Lissewege where there is a lot to see.

Head towards Blankenberge and then turn off to enter the Uitkerkse Polder , a nature reserve for migratory birds.

We reach the edge of Bruges via the flat polder landscape and drive along the Bruges-Ostend canal to Varsenare.

Via Beisbroek and Along the Vloetemveld we pass east of Aertrijke to reach the Wijnendalebos via the Provincial Domain d'Aertrycke .

We now drive to the center of Torhout, via Groenhovebos and the Lakebos along the Munkebossen to Wildenburg.

We are here close to the starting point. If you want to do the route in 2 times, you can return to the starting point here.

We now cycle to the Sint-Pietersveld with its many sights, along the Radio and the Gulkeputten via Schuiverskapelle to the center of Tielt. We reach the Poelberg with its beautiful mill and the much visited Lourdes grotto.

It continues along the Meikesbossen and Aarsele and reaches Kanegem where Briek Schotte was born and raised. Continue to Ruiselede and Kruiskerke. We cross the E40 and arrive in the centre of Aalter and further to Bellem along the Kranepoel. We pass the east of Ursel and reach the Drongengoedbos.

Past Knesselare and Maria-Aalter we return to the starting point. Phew.

10/2022