Belgium’s Top Cycling Routes & Regions

Belgium delivers rides for every style: compact distances, well-marked routes, and a deep cultural backbone make it feel purpose-built for cyclists.

Whether you prefer quiet countryside loops, urban heritage trails, or cross-border adventures, every region rewards exploration on two wheels.

Here is our pick of the best regions for cycling in Belgium:

Belgium’s Cycling Regions at a Glance

• Flanders: Flat canal paths and art cities — perfect for culture lovers and relaxed touring
• Brabant & Limburg: Green heartland with forest trails and family-friendly routes
• Ardennes & Wallonia: Rolling hills, castles, and river valleys for scenic, sportier rides
• Coastal & Delta Region: Breezy seaside paths through dunes and harbor towns
• Cross-Border Routes: Easy connections into France, the Netherlands, and beyond

Now, let's break them down:

1. Flanders

Flanders captures Belgium’s cycling soul — a land of canals, cobbled streets, and café terraces where the bike is part of everyday life. Riders pedal between UNESCO-listed cities like Bruges, Ghent, and Antwerp, linked by peaceful waterways and art-filled market squares. 

Routes are flat, paved, and perfectly signed, making it a favorite for leisurely touring and first-time visitors. The blend of history, design, and hospitality creates an easygoing rhythm that defines cycling in northern Belgium.

What to Expect:

• Flat terrain with gentle canal paths and countryside lanes, averaging 50–150 meters of elevation gain per day
• Smooth, well-marked surfaces ideal for hybrid, trekking, or e-bike touring
• UNESCO-listed city centers and lively market squares rich in art and history
• Frequent café stops and post-ride brewery visits woven into local tradition

Cycling types: trekking, hybrid, road, e-bike

Best for: culture lovers, leisure riders, first-time tourers

Best Flanders Cycling Routes:

2. Brabant & Limburg

Belgium’s green heartlands, Brabant and Limburg, blend forested trails, abbey routes, and innovative cycling infrastructure into one of Europe’s most enjoyable riding regions. It’s home to a famous cycling route where you can cycle directly through water in a special pathway, offering peaceful immersion in nature. 

The landscape is slightly rolling but never demanding, ideal for relaxed touring and family rides. With abbeys, art parks, and shaded pine forests, every day feels quietly restorative.

What to Expect:

• Gently rolling countryside and forest paths, averaging 150–250 meters of elevation gain per day
• Quiet backroads, paved greenways
• Blooming heather and shaded pine trails in late summer and early autumn
• Family-friendly navigation using the Flemish knooppunten (node-point) network

Cycling types: trekking, hybrid, e-bike

Best for: nature seekers, families, easygoing e-bike touring

Best Brabant & Limburg Cycling Route:

3. Ardennes & Wallonia

Southern Belgium’s Ardennes and Wallonia regions deliver a completely different cycling character — forested hills, winding river valleys, and storybook villages tucked between ridges. Routes follow the Meuse and Semois rivers, passing stone citadels, castles, and panoramic lookouts. 

The climbs are moderate but steady, offering rewarding descents and open views over wooded hills. It’s Belgium’s most scenic and adventurous terrain, combining culture, quiet roads, and a touch of mountain flavor.

What to Expect:

• Rolling to hilly terrain with steady gradients, averaging 400–700 meters of elevation gain per day
• Scenic ridge-and-river combinations through forests, citadels, and castle towns
• Lightly trafficked rural roads and occasional gravel stretches in natural parks
• Historic atmosphere in towns like Dinant, Bouillon, and Namur

Cycling types: road, gravel, trekking, e-bike

Best for: adventurous riders, landscape lovers, history fans

Best Ardennes & Wallonia Cycling Route:

4. Coastal & Delta Region

Belgium’s North Sea coast offers breezy, wide-open cycling with a maritime charm that feels both relaxed and invigorating. Routes follow dikes, dunes, and seaside promenades connecting harbor towns and sandy beaches. 

Ferries and bridges make it easy to hop across polders and estuaries, creating varied coastal loops with minimal effort. With long summer days, salty air, and big-sky horizons, it’s ideal for riders who prefer calm scenery and a touch of seaside nostalgia.

What to Expect:

• Flat coastal terrain and dike-top paths, averaging 50–100 meters of elevation gain per day
• Continuous cycleways through dunes, polders, and maritime nature reserves
• Ferry crossings and seaside promenades linking classic towns like Ostend and De Haan
• Panoramic views and extended daylight during summer months

Cycling types: trekking, hybrid, e-bike, road

Best for: families, relaxed summer touring, photography

Best Coastal Belgium Cycling Route:

5. Cross-Border Routes

Belgium’s central location in Western Europe makes it a natural hub for multi-country cycling adventures. 

Seamless EuroVelo and regional trail connections allow effortless crossings into the Netherlands, France, Luxembourg, and Germany — often marked only by a bridge or village sign. 

Terrain ranges from coastal deltas to forested hills, while daily distances of 40–70 kilometers suit both leisure and experienced riders. Each route blends cultural contrasts, historic towns, and smooth, well-marked paths that make cross-border touring remarkably easy.

Best Cross-Border Routes Going Through Belgium:

• Amsterdam to Bruges Cycling Tour
  A classic Netherlands–Belgium journey, following canals, windmills, and dike-top paths from Amsterdam through Gouda, Dordrecht, and Zierikzee to Bruges. The route combines Dutch water landscapes with Belgian art cities and finishes in Bruges’ medieval center.
• Brussels to Bruges Cycling Tour
  This weeklong ride links Belgium’s most historic cities via canalways and peaceful countryside. From Brussels to Mechelen, Antwerp, Ghent, and Bruges, the itinerary showcases Flanders’ cultural heart and cycling tradition.
• Five Countries Cycling Tour
  Starting in Maastricht, this international loop crosses Belgium, Luxembourg, France, and Germany through the rolling hills of Wallonia and the Ardennes. Expect ridge-top panoramas, riverside paths, and medieval towns like Bouillon and Bastogne.
• Belgium & France: Bruges to Paris Premium Bike & Barge
  A 15-day journey combining cycling and barge travel from Bruges to Paris, through Flanders fields, Picardy villages, and the Champagne region. The route follows canals and rivers, balancing comfort, history, and fine cuisine.

Where the Journey Comes Together

From the canal paths of Flanders to the forest climbs of the Ardennes and the breezy North Sea coast, Belgium’s cycling regions blend scenery, culture, and variety in a way few countries can. Each area offers its own rhythm — whether that means leisurely rides between art cities, forested climbs above river valleys, or cross-border journeys through open countryside.

Our Belgian cycling tours are designed to showcase the best of these regions, with seamless luggage transfers, GPS navigation, and carefully crafted routes that balance comfort and discovery.

Browse our full range of Belgium cycling tours to find the region that fits your riding style — or get in touch for tailored advice on planning your trip.