The present round trip goes along beautiful canals and rivers east of Brüssel. It is easy to find accomodations in Brüssel; Hotel NH Collection Brussels Centre may be recommended. Rental of bicycles can be pre-ordered through Wiel-Rent.

Day 1. Brüssel to Charleroi (68 km, map link)

From Hotel NH Colletion Brussels Centre, the suggested route goes west on Wolvengracht and Lakensestraat to Fietsknooppunt 12, and continues on Antoine Dansaertstraat to Knooppunt 37 at the Kanaal Charleroi-Brüssel. Then go south along the canal through Brüssel to Halle, where a detour across the canal to a lunch café, for example In de Molen, may be a good idea (37-36-45-47-48-50-86-84-67-65).

From Halle, continue south along the canal through a calm rural landscape to Ronquiéres (_65-28-19-21-34-20-68) where a two-chamber boat lift takes canal boats 67.7 m up and down, bypassing an old canal with 14 locks. The chamber going down is filled with water, giving the energy needed to lift the other chamber.

From Ronquieres, continue southeast along the old canal to Seneffe (68-18-87-2-26-49-51-61-63-8-79), where the Fietsknooppunten end and the Wallonian Ravel marking of the bike path takes over. The bike path on the east side of the canal (named ‘Ravel 1 centre bis4’) continues past Pont-á-Celles to Gosselles. There the suggested route turns west from the canal along Rue de Laterale, continuing on Chausée de Courcelles to Hotel Van der Valk Charleroi Airport, which can be recommended for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 2. Charleroi to Namur (56 km, map link)

The suggested route goes northeast from Van der Valk Charleroi Airport Hotel on Chausée de Courcelles, and turns south along Fabourg de Charleroi to ‘Ravel ligne 119’, which is a very nice bike path going southeast to the river Sambre. Continue east along the winding river, on the bike path ‘Ravel Sambre’, through Farciennes, Tamines and Sambreville where lunch cafés can be found (for example La Cour des Saveurs).

The bike path along the river continues east to Namur, where many accomodations and restaurants are found. Hotel Les Tanneurs de Namur can be recommended for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 3. Namur to Liège (67 km, map link)

From Namur, cross over to the south side of the river Meuse, and bike towards northeast along the winding river (bike path ‘Ravel 1’) to Huy, where a lunch café can be found, for example 1660.

At Huy, take the bridge over to the north side of Meuse, and follow ‘Ravel 1’ away from the river at Ampsin, crossing back to the south side of Meuse at Amay. The suggested route crosses over to the north side again at Engis, back to the south side at Jeneppe-sur-Meuse, and finally to the north side on Pont-de-Fragnée in Liège.

Many accomodations and restaurants are found in Liège. For example Hotel Amosa Liège City Centre can be recommended for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 4. Liège to Hasselt (72 km, map link)

North of Liège, the bike paths are mapped with fietsknooppunten. From the centre of Liège, the suggested route crosses over to the south side of Meuse, and back again to the north side across Pont-Atlas further east (33-31). Continue northeast along the river and the Albertkanaal (on bike path ‘Ravel Canal Albert’) to Haccourt, and cross over to the east side of the Albertkanaal on Rampe du Pont (31-30-17-15-41).

Then the suggested route goes along the west side of the river Maas through Lixhe and back to the east side of the Albertkanaal at Lanaye, where the lock height of 14 m between Albertkanaal and Maas is the highest in Belgium (41-40-414-413-412-411). At Kanne, where the suggested route turns away from the Albertkanaal along the border to Netherlands (411-401), a lunch café can be found (for example T’Heukske Kanne)

Just after Kanne, the suggested route turns back to the Albertkanaal, crossing over to the west side of the canal on ‘2e Carabinierslaan’ just before Briegden, where the route crosses back to the north side of the canal on Tongersesteenweg (401-557-11-558-65-533).

Near Zutendaal and Genk, the route goes away from the canal for a few kilometres, returning to the canal at Natuurreservaat de Maten (533-532-64-251-534-29-560). Go along the north side of the Albertkanaal and cross over to the south side just before Hasselt, where many accomodations and restaurants are found (560- 82-98-97-96). For example HasHotel can be recommended for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 5. Hasselt to Grobbendonk (71 km, map link)

From Hasselt, the suggested Knooppunten route goes towards northwest on the south side of the Albertkanaal, crossing over ‘Brug Albertkanaal-Stokrooie’ to the north side of the canal (96-95-94-93). Then bike northwest along the southeastern side of the canal past Lummen towards Beringen (93-302-303-304-306-343), where a detour to a lunch café may be a good idea (for example Het Voorste Huis).

From Beringen, bike along the northeastern side of the Albertkanaal to Kwaadmechelen (343-345-503-339), where the suggested route turns north along Kanaal Dessel-Kwadmechelen, crossing over to the west side of the canal near Pakawi Park zoo in Balen (339-338-38-37). There the route turns southwest back to the Albertkanaal (37-67-22-46-45), and continues along the north side of the canal to Herentals (45-41-33-64-61-12), where the old city gates and the old townhall belfry (on the World Heritage list) are worth seeing.

At Herentals, the suggested route crosses the Albertcanal on Herenhoutseweg, and continues along the south side of the canal to Grobbendonk (12-60-47) where Best Western Plus Aldheim Hotel can be recommended for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 6. Grobbendonk to Brüssel (68 km, map link)

Bike west along the Albertkanaal (47-9-10-68) and turn south along the Netekanaal and river Kleine Nete to Lier, where a lunch café can be found, for example Nethe & Drinke (68-51-74-92-91-89-5).

From Lier, bike southwest along river Nete past Duffel to Rumst (5-31-66-56-55-51), where the suggested route turns south along river Zenne past Mechelen and Zemst to Vilvorde (51-52-94-79-90-59-10-75-16-13-14-71-76). From Vilvorde, continue along Zeekanaal Brüssel-Schelde back to Brüssel (76-20-2-1-12).