Why this ride
From Gent it runs 173 km to Gent; allow about 3 h 12 of riding. It goes by way of Stadhuis met Belfort, Historic Centre of Brugge, Stadhuis and back through Historic Centre of Brugge. The line favours views over speed.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Belfort and Stadhuis
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 173 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 3 h 12
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
The recorded total and the leg detail need reconciliation. Inspect the leg notes before using this record for timing or navigation. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Belfort
Ghent has three towers standing in a row, and the middle one is the belfry, rising over the old centre between St Bavo's Cathedral and St Nicholas' Church. Begun in the fourteenth century, it was the town's watchtower, bell tower and strongroom, where the charters granting the city its privileges were locked away. On its spire sits a gilded dragon, the city's mascot, keeping an eye on things. The belfry, with the cloth hall attached to its base, is part of the UNESCO list of belfries of Belgium and France, and you can climb it, partly by lift, for one of the best views over the rooftops, canals and spires.
Read the complete Belfort write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Belfort is where the day begins. Next is Stadhuis met Belfort.
2. Stadhuis met Belfort
Eeklo is the capital of the Meetjesland, the flat, green region of East Flanders between Ghent and Bruges, close to the Dutch border, and its town hall with a belfry, the Stadhuis met Belfort, stands on the market square as the symbol of the town. It is one of the belfries of Belgium and France listed by UNESCO, a group of civic towers that embodied the freedom and power of the medieval towns of Flanders. Eeklo's belfry is modest compared with those of Bruges and Ghent, but it has its own charm, rising above a town that most visitors pass through without stopping.
Read the complete Stadhuis met Belfort write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Stadhuis met Belfort comes up 33 km in. Next is Historic Centre of Brugge.
3. Historic Centre of Brugge
Bruges was once one of the richest cities in northern Europe, a trading hub where merchants from Italy, Germany, England and Spain bought and sold wool, cloth, spices and luxury goods. Its wealth came from its access to the sea through an inlet called the Zwin, and when that silted up in the fifteenth century, trade moved to Antwerp and Bruges slowly fell asleep. For centuries it was a quiet, poor town, and that is why its medieval centre survived almost intact. In the nineteenth century, writers and painters rediscovered it, and Georges Rodenbach's novel Bruges-la-Morte made it famous as a melancholy city of canals and bells. The historic centre was listed by UNESCO in 2000.
Read the complete Historic Centre of Brugge write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
65 km in you reach Historic Centre of Brugge. Next is Stadhuis.
4. Stadhuis
Bruges is half an hour north, and the two make a good pairing, but Roeselare deserves to be taken on its own terms: a working town of some fifty-six thousand people, built on textiles, food processing and trade, with a town hall on its market square that anchors the centre. Like most Flemish towns, Roeselare grew around a market and a civic building that announced the burghers' independence from lords and bishops, and the tradition of the town hall as the symbol of local self-government is still very much alive here.
Read the complete Stadhuis write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Stadhuis, about halfway. Next is back through Historic Centre of Brugge.
5. back through Historic Centre of Brugge
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Historic Centre of Brugge write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Historic Centre of Brugge sits at 131 km, about halfway. Next is back through Stadhuis met Belfort.
6. back through Stadhuis met Belfort
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Stadhuis met Belfort write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Stadhuis met Belfort comes up 163 km in. Next is Belfort.
7. Belfort
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Belfort write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Belfort closes the day.
Leg by leg
Belfort to Stadhuis met Belfort
Belfort → Stadhuis met Belfort is 25 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Stadhuis met Belfort to Historic Centre of Brugge
Stadhuis met Belfort → Historic Centre of Brugge is 33 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Historic Centre of Brugge to Stadhuis
Historic Centre of Brugge → Stadhuis is 41 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Stadhuis to back through Historic Centre of Brugge
Stadhuis → back through Historic Centre of Brugge is 41 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Historic Centre of Brugge to back through Stadhuis met Belfort
back through Historic Centre of Brugge → back through Stadhuis met Belfort is 33 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Stadhuis met Belfort to Belfort
back through Stadhuis met Belfort → Belfort is 25 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.