This route takes you around the lovely central part of Flanders. We have selected a string of beautiful historical towns for you to visit. Everybody knows Brussels, of course, with its grand market square, but have you ever been to Ghent? The heart of historical Ghent, especially around the quays on the River Leie, is like a picture from a book of fairytales. We also want to surprise you with lovely Sint Niklaas and Aalst. In Oudenaarde you may like to visit a museum dedicated to the Tour of Flanders, a tough road-cycling race which has been held every spring since 1919.
Bicycle holidays in Belgium
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The Pearls of Central Flanders
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The Pearls of Central Flanders
Bike Tour: The Pearls of Central Flanders - 8 days
Route
Day 1: Arrival in Mechelen
Day 2: Mechelen - Sint Niklaas
Day 3: Sint Niklaas - Ghent
Day 4: Ghent - Oudenaarde
Day 5: Oudenaarde - Aalst
Day 6: Aalst - Brussels
Day 7: Brussels - Mechelen
Day 8: Departure from Mechelen
Day 1: Arrival in Mechelen
Organize your own journey to Mechelen and make sure you get there early to check out the compact and cute historical town center.
Day 2: Mechelen - Sint Niklaas
44 km
Your first stop is Rumst, a town at the confluence of the rivers Nete and Dijle. They join to form the Rupel, the river you will follow to the River Scheldt. Historically, the Rupel valley is known for its clay deposits, clay pits, brickyards and ovens for baking (roof)tiles. Museums tell the fascinating stories. Follow the River Scheldt to the Temse Bridge which takes you across the water to the town of Temse. From here, quiet, flat roads lead to Sint Niklaas, the town with the biggest market square in the whole of Belgium.
Day 3: Sint Niklaas - Ghent
74 km
Set forth on quiet and flat roads through the Waasland region to Dendermonde where you will rejoin the Scheldt river. If you have an eye for nature, you will be interested to find out that you are cycling through a freshwater tidal habitat. What? Here? So far away from the sea? Yes, at high tide, seawater can flow upriver, unhindered, as far as the locks near Ghent. Obviously, the water gets less and less saline as it approaches Ghent, so there are gradual variations in (more or less salt-resistant) vegetation and in fauna (from water birds to fish) all the way from the mouth of the Scheldt to the locks. Interestingly, the daily motion of water flowing in and out is continuously etching changes into the landscape. Roaming the scenic Scheldeland region, you will pass Donkmeer lake and nature reserve, which started off as a loop in the Scheldt. Cycle atop the river dike and watch the boats glide by. There are many cafes along today’s route. The people of Ghent have done such a good job looking after their stunning historical patrimony. The beautiful town center is an absolute joy – and cool too!
Day 4: Ghent - Oudenaarde
47 km
After the hustle and bustle of Ghent, pedal to Nazareth and Gavere before you reach Oudenaarde at the foot of the Flemish Holls. Along the way, opt to visit Dhondt Dhaenens art museum in Sint Martens-Latem. The museum boasts a wealth of works by Flemish modern and contemporary artists. In Oudenaarde, fans of road bicycle racing should visit Centrum Ronde van Vlaanderen, a museum dedicated to the Tour of Flanders. After glimpsing the Town Hall, you will realize that this town has known grander days. It used to be a thriving center of tapestry production. Visit one of the many breweries or the pretty beguinage.
Day 5: Oudenaarde - Aalst
61 km
Today we will steer clear of the notorious hills and cobbled lanes of the Tour of Flanders, keeping them on our right-hand side, but there will be some slopes later on. After the first few flat kilometers along the Scheldt, head for Zottegem, the town of Lamoral, Count of Egmont (1522-1568). Although Lamoral was a catholic and loyal to the Spanish king, he politely protested when the Spanish Inquisition was established in the Low Countries to eradicate the protestants. He was beheaded, along with the protestants. You will find many references to this character across town. Moving on, past the rural villages of Herzele and Haaltert, you will reach the town of Aalst on the River Dender, known for its carnaval.
Day 6: Aalst - Brussels
49 km
For centuries this was one of the wealthiest hop farming regions in Europe. You will pass Affligem Abbey where the famous beer was once brewed. Today it is brewed elsewhere but the monks’ old recipe is still strictly followed. Rolling country roads lead you to the capital of Europe and Belgium, Brussels. Be sure to leave enough time for sightseeing because besides having Manneken Pis, the most delicious waffles, chocolates and pints, Brussels also happens to be the city where culture vultures, shopaholics, and gourmets and gourmands make merry.
Day 7: Brussels - Mechelen
44 km
After one last tour of the Grande Place it’s time to leave the city behind. Cycle through the suburbs to Grimbergen, known for its abbey with a baroque basilica that was never completed. A sequence of diverse landscapes will pass you by, with trees, water and vast cropfields. Finally, you will reach the town where you started this bike holiday a week previously: Mechelen.
Day 8: Departure from Mechelen
After breakfast, your holiday will come to an end.
Prices & dates
Starting dates:
Saturdays from April 5th till September 20th.
| Price pp | € | |
| Double room, breakfast | 899.00 | |
| Single room, breakfast | 1,389.00 | |
| Extra night double room, breakfast only | 80.00 | |
| Rental bike | € | |
| Hybrid | 105.00 | |
| E-bike | 217.00 | |
| Extra services | € | |
| Bike theft insurance | € 3.00 x 7 | 21.00 |
| E-bike theft insurance | € 6.00 x 7 | 42.00 |
| Bike helmet | per piece | 15.00 |
| SGR | per piece | 5.00 |
Accommodation
The hotels on this trip have been carefully selected for their location, atmosphere and/or unique services. All rooms are en-suite. A list of the hotels we work with appears below. If a certain accommodation is unable to confirm due to lack of availability, we will request a comparable alternative.
NH Mechelen*** (Mechelen)
Ibis Sint Niklaas Centrum*** (Sint Niklaas)
Hotel Chamade*** (Gent)
Leopold Hotel Oudenaarde**** (Oudenaarde)
Tower Hotel**** (Aalst)
NH Brussels EU Berlaymont*** (Brussel)
Bikes
Instruction video hybrid bike and e-bike
Our hybrid bikes are aluminum bikes and have 27-gears
Assembly: Shimano Deore
Brakes: Shimano V Brakes (hand brakes)
Tires: Schwalbe Marathon
Saddle: Selle Royal Freedom
Pedals: flat pedals (XLC)
Weight: circa 16,5 kilo
The e-bikes are Freebike Harlem or similar. The bikes have a small electric engine and battery, which can be charged at the hotels. You still have to pedal: it just makes pedaling much easier. Some experience with e-bikes is recommended, as the bikes accelerate faster and are heavier than regular bikes because of the electric engine.
Assembly: Shimano Nexus 8 gears
Brakes: Shimano hydraulic discbrakes
Handlebars are adjustable without any tools
Tires: Continental
Pedals: Flat pedals
Saddle: Velo Comfort
Range battery: ca. 100 km (with normal use)
Weight: ca. 25 kilo.
For children who are at least 125 cm, we can also arrange bikes (these are 24”or 26” for children that are bigger than 140 cm). The bikes are Oxford Kick-Off bikes or similar, we also use child mountainbikes as child bike.
Assembly: Shimano 7 gears
Brakes: Shimano V-Brakes (hand brakes)
Pedals: flat pedals
Weight: 13,3 kg (24 inch) or 13,9 kg (26 inch)
The maximum body height for a child’s bike is 155 cm.
Bell
Brakes
Childseat
Helmet
Lights
Locks
Pannier
Pedals
Quickrelease
Repairkit
Saddle
Waterbottles
All our rental bikes come with a bell.
Brakes
All our adult bikes come with hand brakes.
Childseat
For children up to 30 months old (max. 15 KG) it is possible to rent a front child seat. This is not possible with e-bikes, due to the display.
For children older than 30 months (max. 22KG) it is possible to rent a rear child seat. This is also possible with e-bikes.
Helmet
Helmets are not mandatory in Belgium, but can be rented for €15,- per piece.|
Available sizes: Adult: 54-61cm, Child: 50-55cm.
Lights
All our bikes come with both front- and rear lights. You need to push the button on the lamp and it will flash three times. This means that the lights will automatically start working when it gets dark.
When you push again, the lamp will flash one time and the lights will be turned off.
Locks
Our bikes come with a defender lock with plug in chain (cable lock that is attached to the regular lock, see picture).
You need to turn the key a bit, take out the pin from the cable lock and attach it to a pole/other bike/fence etc.
When you push the pin back into the regular lock, you need to lock the regular lock as you always do, and both locks will be secured.
Pannier
1 pannier is included at the 'standard' bikes and the e-bikes.
Height: 42 cm
Depth front to the side: 17 cm
Wide top: 32 cm
Wide down: 23 cm
Volume: 20 liters
It has an easy click-on/click-off system. The panniers are water resistant, so everything will stay dry.
Pedals
The rental bikes come with regular pedals, so no click-in/SPD pedals.
Quickrelease
All our bikes come with a quick release system, which makes it very easy to adjust the height of the saddle and the handle bars.
Repairkit
There is one small puncture kit included, which can be found in the pannier. In case a rental bike has another problem, we always advise you to go to a bike repair shop or call the bike breakdown emergency number which is provided in the travel documents when you book this extra service.
Saddle
Saddles can be adjusted in height without using any tools, see ‘Quick Release’.
Our saddles don’t come with a gel cover.
Waterbottles
Dutch Biketours does not provide water bottles. We can also not guarantee that there are bottle holders on the bikes. You will always receive 1x pannier, so you can always store your water bottle in your pannier.
We have a limited amount of tandem bikes available on request. The tandem bikes are steel Victoria Special 8.7 or similar. Tandem bikes are suitable for two adults only.
Assembly: Shimano Acera 24 gears
Brakes: Magura HS11 (hand brakes)
Tires: Schwalbe Marathon Plus
Saddle: Selle Royal Rio Plus SR 8020
Weight: ca. 28 kg
The tandem bikes have a frame size of 48 cm.
The height of the handle bars on a tandem bike cannot be adjusted.
We have limited family tandem bikes available on request. The family tandems are made of aluminium and can be used for one adult and one child with a minimum body height of 125 cm.
Assembly: Shimano (8 gears)
Brakes: V-Brakes (hand brakes)
Tires: Schwalbe Marathon plus
Saddle: Selle Royal Rio
Pedals: Flat pedals
A tag-along bike is a good option for children between approx. 100 cm and 125 cm, as they can pedal themselves and on their own pace but don’t have to worry about other traffic.
Child trailers can be rented for a maximum of two children who are up to 100 cm (max. 35 KG in total).
We mostly use the XLC Duo 2 child trailer.
Child trailers are not possible in combination with e-bikes.
Mile after wonderful mile of untroubled cycling is what we would wish our clients. However there is a minimal chance of breakdown along the way. If this thought is a nagging worry to you, a Bicycle Breakdown Assistance insurance policy may ease your mind. If you buy this insurance from our partner FietsNED in advance, their service is as follows. If your bike breaks down by the roadside a FietsNED bicycle repair man will drive to you in his repair van and fix your bike so you can continue your tour.You won’t have to pay him repair costs. If you are cycling on your own bicycle you will be charged for any new spare parts your bike may require. If you are renting a bicycle through Dutch Bike Tours any new parts are at our expense. If it turns out the bicycle cannot be repaired on the spot, or if you don’t wish to continue cycling, the repairman can drop you off somewhere in his van. One companion plus bikes may join you in the van.
The Bike Breakdown Pass is €2,75 per day per bike and can only be booked for every participant in a booking.
Do you wish to insure your bike against theft? The cost is € 3,- per day per standard hybrid bicycle.
For an electric bicycle, premium bike or racing bike: € 6,00 per day per bicycle.
Please see the General Terms and Conditions for Bicycle Hire and Insurance.
If a rental bike gets stolen or damaged, we will hold the client responsible.
If your insurance does not cover this event, you will have to pay the costs yourself.
Article 1 Bike Rental Price
The bike rental price is determined by the rates mentioned on the Dutch Bike Tours website at the time of the booking; or as subsequently agreed.
Article 2 Payment
a. The rental price and any other due sums regarding the rental agreement must be paid before the bike is handed over to you.
b. If, for whatever reason, you cannot make use of the bike(s) you have rented, Dutch Bike Tours will not be held responsible for any resulting expenses or damage.
c. In the case of the article 2b, the client remains obliged to pay the full rental price and any other amounts mentioned in the invoice, in accordance with our General Terms and Conditions of Booking, unless the client can prove that his not being able to use the bike was the consequence of a defect that was already present at the beginning of the rental period.
Article 3 Rental Period
a. The rental period runs from the morning of the first cycling day (day 2) to the end of the holiday (the departure day), as stated in the booking confirmation.
b. Extension of the rental period is possible only after approval by us and according to the (extension) rates as mentioned in article 1.
c. No refunds are possible after the rental period begins. If you return the bike(s) to us before the end of your holiday, the rental agreement will automatically be terminated and you will not get any of your money back.
d. At the end of the last cycling day of your holiday, the bike(s) must be returned to the hotel from where it was/they were issued, no later than the time stated in the booking confirmation.
If you book a one way tour tour you can leave the bike at the last hotel of the trip.
e. If the bike(s) is /are not returned by the return time stated in the booking confirmation, we will continue to charge you rent until such time as the bike(s) is/are returned to us or is/are received by us. In the event of late return, the rates as mentioned in article 1 will continue to apply, plus a fine of €25 per day. We also reserve the right to demand payment for any costs and/or damages suffered by us due to late return of our rental bike(s).
f. Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, in the event of late return of our rental bikes, we reserve the right to dissolve the rental agreement without judicial intervention and immediately claim back our bicycles where ever they may be and from whomever has them. Dutch Bike Tours also holds this right in the event that the client does not comply with any of the other conditions stated in this rental agreement.
Article 4 Improper Use
a. The bicycle(s) may only be used for its/their intended purpose and only by the cyclists listed in the rental agreement.
b. The bike(s) must be returned to us in the same (clean!) state in which you received it/them.
c. You must take excellent care of the bicycle(s), as if it/they were your own. You must take every precaution against damage, loss or theft.
d. The bicycle may not be used on the beach; or on sandy paths in the dunes unless a paved path is unavailable.
Article 5 Damage, Loss and Theft
The renter will be held responsible for damages to or loss of the bicycle(s) or parts of it, as well as bicycle keys and chains and locks, for such an amount as is determined by us according to standard market prices. You must understand that you are not insured for damage to the bicycle(s) or for any damages to third parties.
Article 6 Theft Insurance
It is possible to purchase Bicycle Theft Insurance. Covered are: damages arising out of the theft of the bicycle; and damages to the bicycle as a consequence of the theft. Not covered are: theft of bicycle parts; and damages arising out of attempted theft.
Article 7 Theft Insurance Premium
a. The premium for Bicycle Theft Insurance is € 3,00 per day per standard hybrid bicycle. For an electric bicycle € 6,00 per day as well for a Premium bike and racing bike.
The number of insurance days is the same as the number of cycling days as stated in our booking confirmation.
Article 8 Liability in the Event of Theft
a. If you did not purchase Bicycle Theft Insurance from us before the start of the holiday, you will be held fully accountable for the sum determined by us according to standard prices.
b. If you did purchase Bicycle Theft Insurance from us, but you failed to lock the wheel lock and failed to produce the original wheel lock key and failed to produce an official theft report drawn up by the police, you will still be held fully accountable for the sum determined by us according to standard prices.
Article 9 Costs During the Rental Period
Any charges and taxes regarding the rental bicycle(s), such as fines and ferry tickets, are to be paid by you. You will also be required to pay all costs ensuing from the use of the bicycle(s) such as parking fees, maintenance and repairs.
Practical info
7 nights included
3/4 star hotels
Tourist tax included
Breakfast included
Tourist information on all the places of interest
The possibility of renting bikes
7-days a week service-hotline
Luggage transport to your next hotel
Mechelen
Parking possibilities at the hotel
GPS-tracks available
Any ferry crossings are not included
Arrival info
Similar Trips:
The Pearls of Central Flanders
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info@belgian-biketours.com
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