Velzeke, Gavere and Merelbeke

Here you drive on famous roads! Near the starting point of Velzeke, a track post was found during excavations dating back to Flavian times (69-96 AD), which shows that the then hamlet was an important regional road junction. These track posts or road stations were official stopping points throughout the Roman Empire where travelers could eat, bathe, spend the night and change horses. Minor repairs could also be made. The stations were established by the Roman administration along the highways at distances of 10 Roman miles from each other. This network of road stations and the associated postal transport, established by Emperor Augustus, was called thecursus publicus. This efficient system made it possible to travel up to 150 kilometers per day. Nowadays, Velzeke is still a nice stopping point to start a trip. There are numerous cafes and taverns where you can have a cup of coffee before you start - and see if you can't have a nice bite to eat here at the end of the day, or a nice drink! Now or after your bike ride, take some time to visit the Provincial Archaeological Museum, with remains of a Roman settlement that have been found on site and also take a stroll past the church that dates from the Carolingian period (10th century). And immediately drive a part of a completely different famous road: the Paddestraat and the Lippenhovestraat, cobblestone roads that form a permanent part of the Tour of Flanders. Further on you will pass another special place, but now for a completely different reason than history. Munkzwalm is especially interesting from a landscape perspective. It is intersected by the Zwalmbeek and this river and its tributaries have created a hilly landscape. The village center is located in the valley and in almost every direction you leave the village center via a climb. The right bank in particular is steep, but the left bank, south of the village center, is gently sloping. There are seven hills around the village center! In the west the Zwalm valley widens to Nederzwalm and this is the only descending direction from the village. Handy to keep in mind if you find the slopes a bit too heavy! Further towards the Scheldt, the landscape is also worth seeing. Here you will find an oasis of peace and quiet, hidden between the rolling hills of the Flemish Ardennes, on the banks of a cut-off Scheldt meander and the adjacent nature reserve. You then follow the Scheldt for a long way, which makes a huge arc here. Get off at the Sint Christinakapel, just outside Dikkelvenne, a beautiful spot. In the south of Merelbeke, about ten kilometers from the center of Ghent, you drive through a large forest area, the Makegem forests. This extensive forest has been reclaimed here and there from the various hamlets since 1770, usually in the form of small farms with a house pasture and associated orchard. But the largest parts of the forest - Nerenbos, Boswijk, Bruinbos, Makegembos, Harentbeekbos and Heilig Geestgoed - have almost always been covered with trees to this day. A beautiful, authentic piece of nature to cycle through, before you visit the culture again in Velzeke!