Long-distance trails through Flemish cities

At a glance

Do you know the GR long-distance trails? Did you know some of them pass through Flemish provincial cities? Discover them here and enjoy some great walks.

"GR trails?

Oh right, those long paths, several kilometres long, that cross forests, mountains and meadows?"

Not quite! Many of these GR (long-distance) trails also pass through cities. This is also the case in Belgium. So instead of walking an entire GR trail over several hundred kilometres, you can also choose to follow just a section closer to home.

To give you some ideas for a walk or bike ride, our blogger Lisa explains how you can combine an original visit to Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Hasselt, Leuven and Brussels with discovering part of a GR trail. In another article, she covers the Walloon provincial cities.

Walking a GR trail in Flanders and Brussels

The walks below range from half an hour to several hours and can easily be combined with a more extensive visit to the city or with following another GR trail. Bear in mind the time needed for the return trip if you need to get back to your starting point.
For more detailed information, check out the website of the Sentiers Grandes Randonnées asbl organisation.

Want to know more about GR trails? You'll find useful general information by clicking here.

Click on the maps below to enlarge them.

Bruges ... and its windmills!

Which GR trail crosses Bruges? The "Tour de Flandre à pied" GR 5A (575 km) roughly follows the borders of the former County of Flanders, from West Flanders to Antwerp, passing through Bruges.

Where do you start the walk? The walk starts at the Dampoort and follows the Ringvaart to the Poertoren.

Walk duration: 3.5 km / 45 minutes' walk

Sights you'll pass: You'll pass the striking windmills of Kruisvest park and the old city gates, Kruispoort and Gentpoort. You'll finish your walk at the Poertoren, the medieval gunpowder storage site. From there, you'll be just a five-minute walk from the most famous béguinage in the world.

Along the canals of Ghent

Which GR trail crosses Ghent? The GR 128 "Sentier des Flanders" crosses the centre of Ghent. This 520 km GR trail crosses the whole of Flanders, from Kemmelberg to Teuven.

Where do you start the walk? Start at Bijlokekaai and head to Visserij, following the canals of Ghent.

Walk duration: 4.3 km / 1 hour's walk

Sights you'll pass: Starting from STAM, the Ghent city museum, you follow the Lys to the centre. From the Korenmarkt, you walk to St Bavo's cathedral. You'll pass the imposing Geraard de Duivel castle, and follow the waters of the Reep as they flow into the Visserijvaart.

On the way to Antwerp's Eilandje

Which GR trail crosses Antwerp? As the only urban GR trail in the Flemish network, the GR "Rondom Antwerpen" (24.3 km) loops around the city. Three other GR trails also pass through Antwerp.

Where do you start the walk? Start at the 17th-century Waterpoort in the southern district and cross the city centre to finish the walk at the Eilandje (the little island).

Walk duration: 3.8 km / 45 minutes' walk

Sights you'll pass: After passing several museums, the urban GR trail continues along the Scheldt with a stop at the Steen. The walk ends at the MAS, Antwerp's grand (new) museum.

Through the historic centre of Leuven

Which GR trail crosses Leuven? The regional GR Dijleland (131 km) is a loop that takes you through the Dyle valleys, starting from the city's historic centre.

Where do you start the walk? The walk takes you from the Tweewatersstraat through the city centre to the Tervuursevest.

Walk duration: 2.4 km / 30 minutes' walk

Sights you'll pass: You'll cross the Grote Markt, the Oude Markt and pass the town hall. After crossing the Dyle park, which lies between two branches of the Dyle, you continue your walk past the Grand Béguinage and the Spanish Quarter.

Discovering Bokrijk, near Hasselt

Which GR trail passes near Hasselt? Although the iconic GR 5 North Sea - Mediterranean trail doesn't pass through the centre of Hasselt, it's only 4 km from the city centre. The GR 5 links the North Sea to the Mediterranean and stretches over 2,000 km. The Belgian section covers 251 km of the route.

Where do you start the walk? The Albert Canal is the starting and ending point of the walk, which runs from the Overdemerstraat bridge to the Augustijnenvijvers.

Walk duration: 14 km / 2 hours and 50 minutes' walk

Sights you'll pass: Not only do you walk through fields and villages, but you also follow the forest paths of Domein Kiewit, and you can stop at the Bokrijk open-air museum. The cycle path that takes you right into the middle of a stretch of water is a recommended side route of the hiking trail.

Crossing Brussels from the Botanical Garden to the Porte de Hal

Which GR trail crosses Brussels? The GR 12 links Amsterdam to Paris, crossing Brussels along the way. The total route stretches 1,000 km, of which 200 km is in Belgium. The GR 126 Membre-sur-Semois - Brussegem (243 km) also crosses the centre of Brussels from east to west.

Where do you start the walk? Start at the Botanical Garden and head towards the Porte de Hal, winding through old Brussels.

Walk duration: 6 km / 1 hour and 15 minutes' walk

Sights you'll pass: Besides the many museums the centre has to offer, you'll walk from Brussels Park towards the Grand Place, then back up towards the Palace of Justice and the Porte de Hal.

Which GR trails cross the Walloon provincial capitals?

In this article, we look at how you can combine a section of a GR trail with a visit to Mons, Wavre, Namur, Liège and Arlon.

Our blogger Lisa:
Lisa is a freelance blogger who has just spent a year exploring Australia alone, in a Jeep. When she's not travelling, you'll often find her at home, on her sofa with her rabbit Nelson on her lap and a language course in hand. You'll find her articles on Greek mythology and Bali on her website lisasvividwriting.com.