Belgium 2013

[bmjones1711]

Afternoon all,
I'm planning my first real long cycle around Belgium for July 2013. Aside from planning the route from Calais to Bruges, my friend and I haven't really looked where else we'd like to visit. We wouldn't be looking to spend more than a week on the roads, finishing up either back in Calais or Ostend to get the ferry back. We're competent cyclists, and could probably muster up 7/8 hours on the saddle a day.
Any ideas?
Thanks

 

[robgul]

Go to Ypres (or Iepr as the Belgians call it) - stay a couple of days in the town and do the cycle route around all the WW1 stuff in the surrounding area - fascinating and very moving

Rob

 

[Haitch]

Go to Oudenaarde.

 

[Will1962]

Go to Oudenaarde.

...and vist the Tour of Flanders museum: http://www.crvv.be/en/

Will

 

[Haitch]

...and vist the Tour of Flanders museum: http://www.crvv.be/en/

...and ride the Tour of Flanders (tis signposted), and visit the breweries, and if you're there in the last weekend of June go to the beer festival.

 

[Biscuit]

You might want to check about bikes and foot passengers at Ostend. I was planning a Dutch tour over 10 days finishing in Belgium. But I tihnk it's motor vehicles only when I looked a month or so ago. However you can pop down to Dunkirk and get a ferry from there.

 

[User169]

...and ride the Tour of Flanders (tis signposted), and visit the breweries, and if you're there in the last weekend of June go to the beer festival.

Is the entire route from Bruges marked or just the bit around Oudenaarde?

 

[Haitch]

Is the entire route from Bruges marked or just the bit around Oudenaarde?

Couldn't find any maps but this info from the Ronde van Vlaanderen website refers to cycling in the "settings" so probably not from Bruges. The GF did one last year, very enjoyable apparently.

You can cycle in the settings of the Tour of Flanders any day you want. Every sports-loving biker will certainly like the signposted Tour of Flanders cycling routes. These cycling trajects are entirely renewed since 1 April 2013. From now on you can choose between the yellow, red and blue route and test them to your heart’s content. A map with the three new Tour of Flanders itineraries is available in our RondeShop (for four euros) or via the tourist offices in the Flemish Ardennes.

If these routes are too long or too hard, you can choose from 18 signposted cycling routes from 30 to 50 km (= "Theme cycling routes"). Recently, the cycle network Flemish Ardennes, which comprises 830 km of cycling pleasure, was also created.

 

[Haitch]

You can click through to the maps, all routes are southwest/east of Oudenaarde.

 

[User169]

You can cycle in the settings of the Tour of Flanders any day you want. Every sports-loving biker will certainly like the signposted Tour of Flanders cycling routes. These cycling trajects are entirely renewed since 1 April 2013. From now on you can choose between the yellow, red and blue route and test them to your heart’s content. A map with the three new Tour of Flanders itineraries is available in our RondeShop (for four euros) or via the tourist offices in the Flemish Ardennes.

Cheers, Alan!

 

[Dave Davenport]

We did a 600'ish mile tour of Flanders a couple off years ago following the LF routes (used Dover - Dunkirk crossing). It's ok cycling if you like canals, cycle paths, industrial estates and the odd section of cobbles. Campsites can be a bit scarce but some B & B's will let you camp in their gardens.
As mentioned, Iper is well worth a visit, the In Flanders Fields Museum is good and there's a campsite half a mile from the centre of town. Be prepared for rain.
The beer does compensate for a lot though!

 

[bof]

I cycled once from Calais to Ieper. Quite a nice ride, through a stretch with canals, Watten, Cassel (lovely little hill town with good eats). Did it in four hours as my purpose was to catch a train to somewhere else in Belgium, but it would make a nice touring day -plenty of camping around Calais.