Why this ride
257 km from Leuven to Leuven, about 4 h 04 of riding. It goes by way of Béguinage de Dendermonde, \Halletoren\ ou Belfort and back through Béguinage de Dendermonde. The line favours views over speed.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Sint-Pieterskerk / Belfort and \Halletoren\ ou Belfort starting at Leuven
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 257 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 04
- 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. Sint-Pieterskerk / Belfort
Leuven is a university town through and through. Its university, founded in 1425, is the oldest in the Low Countries, and its students fill the streets, cafés and squares, giving the city a youthful energy. At its heart is the Grote Markt, dominated by two buildings: the Town Hall, a Gothic masterpiece covered in hundreds of statues, and opposite it, the Church of St Peter, a great Gothic church whose tower was never finished but which is part of the UNESCO-listed Belfries of Belgium and France.
Read the complete Sint-Pieterskerk / Belfort write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Sint-Pieterskerk / Belfort is where the day begins. Next is Béguinage de Dendermonde.
2. Béguinage de Dendermonde
Push open the gate of the Dendermonde béguinage and the traffic noise of the ring road simply drops away. Inside is a quiet triangle of grass, whitewashed houses with green shutters and a modest church, where for centuries communities of beguines lived. These were laywomen who chose a shared religious life without taking permanent vows, earning their keep with lacework, nursing and teaching. The béguinage is one of thirteen in Flanders listed together by UNESCO, and it is among the most intimate of them.
Read the complete Béguinage de Dendermonde write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Béguinage de Dendermonde comes up 67 km in. Next is \Halletoren\ ou Belfort.
3. \Halletoren\ ou Belfort
Tielt is a working town in the heart of West Flanders, a place of farmers' markets, textile history and flat roads, and its belfry rises above the market square like a stubborn finger pointing at the clouds. The Halletoren, the hall tower, stands on top of the old cloth hall, the building where merchants once inspected and traded woollen cloth, the source of Flanders' wealth in the Middle Ages. The belfry is one of the group of Belgian and French belfries that UNESCO listed together, symbols of the civic freedom that the cities of Flanders won from their lords, where the town charters were kept and the bells rang to call citizens to arms or to work.
Read the complete \Halletoren\ ou Belfort write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
134 km in you reach \Halletoren\ ou Belfort. Next is back through Béguinage de Dendermonde.
4. back through Béguinage de Dendermonde
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Béguinage de Dendermonde write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Béguinage de Dendermonde, late in the day. Next is Sint-Pieterskerk / Belfort.
5. Sint-Pieterskerk / Belfort
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Sint-Pieterskerk / Belfort write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Sint-Pieterskerk / Belfort. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Sint-Pieterskerk / Belfort to Béguinage de Dendermonde
Sint-Pieterskerk / Belfort → Béguinage de Dendermonde is 61 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Béguinage de Dendermonde to \Halletoren\ ou Belfort
Béguinage de Dendermonde → \Halletoren\ ou Belfort is 73 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
\Halletoren\ ou Belfort to back through Béguinage de Dendermonde
\Halletoren\ ou Belfort → back through Béguinage de Dendermonde is 73 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
back through Béguinage de Dendermonde to Sint-Pieterskerk / Belfort
back through Béguinage de Dendermonde → Sint-Pieterskerk / Belfort is 61 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.