Cycling in Belgium: The Best Routes

At a glance

Would you like to enjoy great bike rides near home or elsewhere in Belgium? How do you find the best routes?

Do you love going on lovely bike rides, alone, with your family or with friends, close to home, or further afield to discover your region, unknown corners of Wallonia or Flanders?

The best cycling routes

More and more towns and villages are creating or developing separate, safe routes for cyclists. Networks ("cycle routes") and itineraries covering thousands of kilometres are now easy to access and check online via RAVeL and the junction-point network (in Wallonia) and the Fietsknooppunten Vlaanderen (in Flanders, over 53,000 km of routes!).
They let cycling enthusiasts choose their route on roads often specially designed for cyclists and walkers, through charming villages and countryside, and the loveliest forests and valleys in our country.

By downloading their app, you can follow the route live as you ride and get tourist information and useful addresses (restaurants, cafés, accommodation, etc.):

In Wallonia, the RAVeL (Réseau Autonome des Voies Lentes): https://ravel.wallonie.be/home.html
The junction-point network: https://walloniebelgiquetourisme.be/fr-be/3/jaime/wallonie-a-velo/reseau-points-noeuds and the junction points in the province of Hainaut: https://vhello.be/

Brussels' cycling map: https://mobilite-mobiliteit.brussels/fr/se-deplacer/velo/carte-velo

Flanders' "fietsknooppunten":

Why cycle?

Do you know the benefits of cycling? Aside from the pleasures of exploring and sharing described above, cycling, even purely for leisure, is good for the body.
Here are a few benefits:

Enjoying a (sporting) leisure activity encourages the secretion of endorphins, a hormone that helps reduce stress and anxiety and creates a feeling of well-being.
Cycling strengthens the cardiovascular system: physical exercise strengthens the heart muscle and blood vessels (so all your muscles and organs "benefit") and improves breathing, endurance... Nothing but good for the body.
Cycling helps burn fat, and therefore helps you manage your body weight. Did you know that cycling at 20 km/h for an hour can burn up to 450 kcal? Cycling also lowers the risk of diabetes.
Cycling helps you improve your balance. Remember your first attempts on a two-wheeled bike? As a beginner, you had to learn to keep your balance and ride straight. Without realising it, you keep that skill sharp every time you get on your bike, learning to control falls (which is especially useful for older people).
Overall, cycling will help you build a stronger immune system, help regulate your body clock and improve your sleep. Thanks to cycling, you get the physical exercise essential to your everyday balance.
And besides: apart from buying a good bike (and possibly some gear), cycling is cheap and accessible to (almost) everyone. You can do it at your own pace, whenever you like. Electric bikes are a great help for those who find hills tougher going... In short, nothing but benefits!

Need assistance?
And if you run into trouble along the way, know that Redion is there to help and get you back on the road.
Find out more about our Bike cycling assistance product by clicking below: