Silver Triangle Zenne Barebeek Dijle (42.2 km; 26 Mi)

This route is 42 km long. The leisure cyclist will find happiness in this car-free loop, but the runner will also appreciate this flat water 'run' of 26 miles. The branch to the northern and southern Barebeek was omitted (see e.g. Bronze or Golden Triangle), so the loop is exactly 42.2 km long. From 2011, you can take the shortcut over the Zennegat (see the bike route ‘Golden Triangle Zenne Barebeek Dijle’ below in the TAB ‘Routes’ at https://www.routeyou.com/user/view/124619/wy-homepage.nl). If you want a larger triangle, check out the bike route ‘Bronze Triangle Zenne Barebeek Dijle Rupel’. This Golden Triangle starts from the same location at the Weerdse fish pond (North parking lot) and utilizes the (opened at the end of 2011) bridge over the Zenne at Zennegat, allowing you to cross from the left banks of the Dijle to the Zenne (see also at the very bottom for the update). This results in a very pleasant flat and rural bike loop (most of it car-free) of 40 km, where there is much to experience for the sporty family, offering plenty of variety and surprises - including a children's farm, discovering two watercourses overlapping, observations of storks, and at various points the possibility for a break with play opportunities or a snack. Cycling through Mechelen runs along a park or at low-traffic areas along the Binnendijle. The Barebeek originates from a collection of small ditches between Machelen and Zaventem and is located in the Dijle basin (see http://www.vmm.be/publicaties/ecol_herstel/Barebeek.pdf and http://publicaties.vlaanderen.be/docfolder/168/Computermodellering_Barebeek.pdf). In the Vriezenbroek area in Weerde, the Barebeek is less than 150 m from a Zenne meander. Undoubtedly, this is the closest point between two watercourses of the Dijle and Zenne basins upstream from the Zennegat. (Before the construction of the E17, the Barebeek wound higher towards Weerde along the Rubens Castle, but this meander was temporarily closed on the right side of the highway.) This bike route utilizes this short 150 m to loop around both basins. TRAJECT with info: The tour starts at the North parking lot of the fish pond Weerde and leads us upstream along the fish pond to the Zenne. We continue to Schumanlaan and turn left without crossing it. This takes us in the opposite direction, and we must be especially careful of oncoming cars at the ramps of the E19 that might not notice you. Twice immediately left over the highway. This brings us to the Zenne meanders to the right of the E19. We briefly pass through a small forest (somewhat thorny in summer) and reach the railway tracks, which we follow on the right. Right under the Zenne, we can go under the railway tracks and then over the only remaining old bridge of the interrupted slow road over the Zenne. After 4 km, we reach a sharp Zenne meander leading towards the E19, above which the new railway bridge Mechelen-Zaventem runs. The Barebeek is located northeast in the field less than 150 m away. From there we follow the Barebeek to its downstream under the Leuvensevaart (after 8.5 km). First along the hiking path 'between Zenne and Barebeek' (= take the Zemstsesteenweg right over the Barebeek, and a little further left into the forest). Further in Hofstade, the Barebeek splits, we follow the northern branch by first going left over the Barebeek at Tervuursesteenweg, then taking the sharp turn to the right (Balkweg, ends) that leads to the garden path 'Barebeekwandeling' that we follow. A little further you can take a dead-end road on the right that leads along a house to the Barebeek split (runner: skip): You can see there a small bridge over the northern (or small) Barebeek 50 m further to the split. This northern branch is followed (return from the dead end) to the downstream at the Leuvensevaart. There you will see the northern (small) Barebeek flowing back together from the right with the southern Barebeek. It is likely that during the dredging of the Vaart in 1752 this Barebeek split was reunited to create just 1 downstream under the Vaart. To reach the northern side of the downstream, we have to follow 1.5 km upstream of the Leuvensevaart to the next Hofstade bridge and there ride back 1.5 km along the right bank. The Barebeek splits again downstream into its original separate bed and continues its own path through the Plankendaal animal park. You will certainly notice a few storks and other animals from the Vaartdijk. The detour is worth it! After the downstream, we again follow the northern small Barebeek. We cross the Leuvensesteenweg, follow the left bank, and together dip under the railway lines Mechelen-Muizen-Hofstade-Weerde and further under the railway lines Mechelen-Haacht-Leuven. At the T right to pick up the small Barebeek again. At the end of this path, we already notice ahead the confluence of the Barebeek into the Dijle. Between this T and the mouth, the two side arms to the east of the small woodland flow back together. We take right, cross first the northern and then the southern Barebeek. Directly behind this second bridge we take left the path to the left bank of the Dijle, which we hold left until the confluence of the Barebeek (after 15 km). We continue along the Dijle towards Mechelen and choose the right bank in Muizen, so just before entering Mechelen we cross the Dijle shortcut (fed by high flow, to avoid flooding in the city center) as well as the Binnendijle (fed by the outside-used Dijleschleuse, with low flow). This sluice access must be dredged annually (dozens of trucks must remove muddy sludge - sediment - or the Binnendijle has no water). Once on the left bank we go under various bridges 'above' the Binnendijle. One of these bridges was even built in various periods over the other, not coincidentally the railway bridge (Does this relate to the systematic raising of the railway line Mechelen-Vilvoorde-Brussels?). In Mechelen we cross the heavily trafficked inner ring. Cross this at the nearest traffic lights to the right. This also takes you to the right bank of the Dijle, which we continue to follow along the watermill and the herb garden. After the herb garden, you have two options: 1. Cross the Binnendijle to the left bank and go from the left side over the Dijle bridge onto the Dijlepontons (walking is allowed, cycling officially not). At the end of the pontoons, you can easily go back up, after which you continue down the left bank. This is particularly fun. 2. Stay cycling on the right bank and take the second bridge (= pedestrian and bicycle bridge at Vismarkt). This is the recommended cycling route. If you want to continue cycling on the right bank, you will be caught at the connection to the Dijle shortcut. We continue along the left bank of the Dijle until we have just passed the bridge complex of the exit Mechelen-Nord (E19). Before the last bridge, take the bike path on the left, which brings you to the right bank of the Dijle (after the Dijle bridge take again to the right to the dike path. Follow this right bank downstream. You will pass two large water sports ponds on the right, where it's fun to watch the water sports enthusiasts. On the left, you will pass Zennegat, where you can wonderfully observe the confluence of the Dijle, Leuvensevaart, and Zenne. Go a little further to the first blue Stevaert bridge, which brings you back to the left bank of the Dijle. We return upstream on the left bank of the Dijle. At Zennegat, you can keep to the left bank of the Zenne (the thirsty can drink something at Zennegat over the solid Zennegatbrug or just right next to the Zennegatbrug) and follow this bank all the way to Weerde. From the solid Zennegat bridge, there are still three bridges over the Zenne to Weerde (Heffen, Leest, Hombeek). You can easily take the dike path on the opposite bank from Zennegat, as long as you take the left bank of the Zenne after the third bridge in Hombeek (before crossing under the railway tracks). In Weerde, we pass the children's farm at Gulderij. 100 m lies the Zenne meander, which flows from the right side under the E19 and the new railway line (See the start of the route: This crossing looks in the direction where the Zenne and the Barebeek lie less than 150 m apart). It is a beautiful sight there: at the same place, two bridges lie over the Zenne (E19 over the Zenne and above the new railway line). Follow the Zenne up to the E19 and take the path downwards over a stream. Cross the meadow and you will notice a farm road that runs across the highway and leads to the Kleinen Losweg. There take left (along a few horse meadows, follow the railway to the right and a little further left under the railway tracks and then back left, towards the starting point. Have fun with this Silver Triangle along natural watercourses! {Quote from 2009:} Two important infrastructure works should be the final stone for the realization of a Golden Triangle: 1. Connection of the Zennegat, so you can easily move from the Zenne basin to the Dijle basin; 2. Redesign of the former slow road along the railway line Weerde-Hofstade at the fish pond in Weerde. During the construction of the E19, it was interrupted. It was also not redesigned when the new railway line Mechelen Airport-Zaventem was laid into the E19 bed. The current crossing under the Schumanlaan towards Hofstade is not an improvement at this point (see the POI that makes this clear: https://www.routeyou.com/location/view/47513747/trage-weg-weerde-hofstade-11km-rood-onderbroken-door-e19.nl). A crossing of the E19 at the Weerdse fish pond is certainly necessary: Not only will the Schumanlaan be alleviated by this slow road between Weerde/Zemst and Hofstade, but also the Zenne and Dijletal would finally be connected again, which is very valuable for tourism. Furthermore, the same railway line 27B runs behind the Blosodomein Hofstade across the Leuvensevaart, where you must make a second round to cross over the Vaart. Strangely, there is a path on the Muizen side at the embankment edge to the railway bridge that you can take, but in Hofstade it is cumbersome to get back down. See this POI: https://www.routeyou.com/location/view/47536928/spoorlijn-27b-over-leuvensevaart-aan-de-onderbroken-prinsenveldstraat-zicht-vanuit-muizen-naar-hofstade-trage-weg-langs-de-spoorlijn-stopt-over-de-brug-je-kan-er-wel-langs-de-berm-in-hofstade-afklauteren.nl Both problems (the lack of a slow road between the Zenne and the Dijletal) can be solved right in Weerde (where the Barebeek leans closest to the Zenne. This POI illustrates my experience with it: https://www.routeyou.com/location/view/47536934/trage-weg-zennevallei-dijlevallei-in-zemst-tweemaal-onderbroken.nl