Lambic-Geuze route
Discover the unique spontaneous fermentation in Lambic land
Start
Start: Halle
Today's cycling adventure is all about lambic and geuze: the jewels in the crown of Belgian beer culture. A brief explanation for those who are not yet familiar with them. Lambic is a thirst-quenching, sour, complex and refined beer that is synonymous with the Pajottenland and the Senne Valley. It is fermented spontaneously in accordance with centuries-old tradition. It then matures in wooden barrels. Lambic is a beer in its own right, but it is also the basis for the famous geuzes and kriek beers. Geuze consists of a unique blend of different lambics. Only here, the wild yeasts float in the air, giving lambic its unique, slowly fermented flavour.
St. Martin's Basilica
We've had the beer intro, now for the cycling adventure. This starts in Halle, a town just southwest of Brussels. We give the pedals some oomph and cycle past the Grote Markt, which features St. Martin's Basilica, a Gothic icon whose first stone was laid in 1341. Today, it still towers proudly above the landscape. We gradually leave city life behind us. We make our way to the open landscapes of the Senne Valley. After just ten minutes, we find ourselves surrounded by greenery, on a separate cycle path. The fresh air and a solitary windmill welcome us.
Boon Brewery
Winding through the fields, we get a feel for the contours of the Pajottenland and the Senne Valley. In this region, the road is never completely flat, it is always slightly undulating. We make a pit stop at our first geuze highlight. We eagerly deviate from the route to go to Boon Brewery (the signposts in the centre of Lembeek show you the way). The first traces of this beer institution date back to 1680. It is still operational today. Boon Brewery makes its own excellent beers, but also supplies lambics to various 'geuzestekers' (geuze blenders). This is the name given to the craftsmen and women who blend different lambic beers to create unique geuze beers. We learn more about these sumptuous beers on a guided discovery tour of the brewery. In the adjacent Boon Bar, you can sample all these delicious brews, and in the beer shop, you can purchase superb beers and fun memorabilia.
Peace and quiet in the Hallerbos
We cross the canal, pass the Malakoff nature reserve and switch to a lighter gear. That's because the road starts to climb steeply. The narrow but immaculate asphalt ascends through the greenery. The first calf-burner of the day is behind us, but don't worry, a beautiful spot to take a breather awaits us up ahead: the Hallerbos (forest). This ancient forest, covering 500 hectares and part of the Brabantse Wouden National Park, existed long before our day. At the time, it was part of the Kolenwoud ancient forest. Today, it is a beautiful nature reserve where you can lose yourself for hours. Every year in April, the reserve becomes even more enchanting. That's when the wild hyacinths are in bloom. They transform parts of the forest into a light purple carpet of flowers. A magical sight. We cycle for several kilometres in peace and quiet, among the metre-high trees.
Welcome to Beersel
After this interlude in the forest, we continue our exploration of the Senne Valley. We cycle past the Hanssens geuze brewery, where the fourth generation of the family is now master geuze brewers. Discover the brewery during a group visit, a unique experience to enjoy together. Also worth a visit during Toer de Geuze, the festival of lambic, geuze and kriek held every two years. About halfway through our trip, we have to negotiate another steep hill. An electric bicycle does sometimes come in handy. As we enjoy the panoramic views, we see the town sign 'Beersel' at the side of the road. Connoisseurs of lambic and geuze know that something wonderful awaits.
Oud Beersel and 3 Fonteinen
Eager to get there, we cycle on, up hill and down dale, through the beautiful Senne Valley. In terms of the route, the hardest part is behind us, but in terms of highlights, there are still two major ones that await us. In Oud Beersel, old and young lambics have been blended and cut into enchanting geuze since 1882. Of course, we are welcomed with open arms here too. After a tasty stop at the cosy Bierhuis Oud Beersel, we continue on to 3 Fonteinen, an iconic brewery of traditional lambic. In an imposing barrel warehouse, the lambics that serve as the basis for producing Oude Geuze or fruit lambic are maturing. We can enjoy a wonderful tasting session in the adjacent Lambik-O-droom.
Finish: Halle
It has been a wonderful end to a delightful cycling adventure through the Pajottenland and the Senne Valley. Although our journey is not quite over yet. We still have a few kilometres to go. Fortunately, they are almost entirely flat. The cycle highway along the canal takes us back to our starting point in Halle. Tired but contented, we grab a seat in one of the cosy cafés. We find one at Vontjesboer, a real traditional pub where we can look back on our adventure. Or go for 't Parlement, where you will find the largest selection of lambic and geuze beers in the region. See you soon, Pajottenland and Senne Valley! See you soon, lambic and geuze!
Finish
Practical
- Parking:
Parking Station Halle - Public transport:
Station Halle - Bicycles for hire:
Fietspunt station Halle, Falco Fietsbar - Nodes:
65 – 64 – 90 – 54 – 28 – 56 – 57 – 58 – 59 – 52 – 49 – 51 – 61 – 37 – 38 – 83 – 82 – 63 – 62 – 67 – 65
