Flanders Divide | 564km of bikepacking
The Flanders Divide, a new bikepacking route right through Flanders. The 564 km long route consists of more than 40% unpaved paths and winds from Genk in the far east of Flanders to Ostend by the sea.
The route has been intensively explored and plotted by local route experts Nils Luypaert and Jochen Sablon, known as the Belgian collective DirtyDropbars, for one and a half years. The route is available on Komoot for cycling enthusiasts from all regions.
More than cobbles
Flanders is a region with a rich cycling culture, where famous cobbled classics such as the Tour of Flanders, Dwars door Vlaanderen and Gent-Wevelgem are held every year. The rich history has produced a world-famous cycling archetype: the Flandrien.
Nils and Jochen see it as their task to show the cycling community that Flanders is more than its famous cobblestones. With the spirit of the Flandrien in the back of their minds, they designed a long, sometimes tough but above all beautiful route right through their beloved Flanders. This adventurously winding route reveals a lust for exploration, off-road riding and knowledge of the natural beauty that Flanders has to offer.
'We wanted to show people how endless cycling pleasure can be found in Flemish nature. Flanders Divide shows how surprisingly diverse and beautiful Flanders really is.'
- DirtyDropbars
Route details
The Flanders Divide starts at the Genk train station in the east and takes you all the way to Ostend by the sea. From the historic mining areas with their tough offroad hairpin bends to the beneficent nature of the Meerdaal forest, the Zoniënwoud and the Hallerbos. Literally hours of cycling fun in the woods. The route builders have not left the cobblestones untouched and have included the infamous 'Muur van Geraardsbergen' in the Flanders Divide. Via Oudenaarde and a number of steep cobbled climbs, the altitude metres are largely behind you after 450 kilometres. The last section towards the coast takes the riders through the historic centre of Bruges before arriving at the vast beach of Ostend.
