Lembeek, Rebecq and Enghien

Just south of Brussels you will find the Zenne Valley, the cradle of Geuze and Kriek. This is the starting point of this route: Lembeek. A green region a stone's throw from the big city, where you can completely relax in the Zenne valley, which winds its way parallel to the Brussels-Charleroi canal. Discover the charm of the Pajottenland, the Zenne Valley and Walloon Brabant with this cycle route. In Tubize, take a look at the Museum of the City Gate, located in a farm from the 17th century. Here you can marvel at Gallo-Roman archeology and the art treasures of the deanery of Tubize. Don't forget to take a look at the toys and school materials from the period around the turn of the last century. Further on, in Rebecq, you will find good reasons to take a break. The Bierhuis, dedicated to the local beer production of the artisanal brewery Lefebvre, is located in the picturesque Kleine Molen of Arenberg. The old tools and antique collections tell the history of barley beer - a must for every beer lover! The Arenberg mill is also worth a visit. This is a witness to the past and has become an important cultural center today. This gem of Walloon Brabant heritage rises in the heart of the village at the end of the Senne. The mill still has the impressive machinery that operates the paddle wheel. The tourist office is located on the ground floor and on the first floor you will find the porphyry museum, dedicated to the stone from the Quenast Quarry. This is not the only mill worth seeing in the region: a little further on you cycle along the pleasantly meandering Senne - known here in Wallonia as La Senne - when you come across the Moulin d\\\'Hou. This watermill dates from the 18th century, so it is an oldie. Shortly afterwards you turn north again, back to Flanders. Near the language border you will find Park Ter Rijst, which is one of the most beautiful landscapes in the Pajottenland. Be sure to get off here, because the park can only be entered on foot and it would be a shame to skip this beautiful spot. The castle park is laid out in English style around a neoclassical castle, a Pajot square farm, built in 1860 on the foundations of a much older farm. A castle was built on this site as early as the early Middle Ages. However, the current building is the result of a total renovation in 1869, the year that the landscape park was also constructed. That park is one of the most beautiful in Flanders, with ponds fed by numerous sources. Walking paths meander past centuries-old trees and there is also an orchard with fruit trees from the past. In addition to the castle park, you will also find an extensive forest reserve, which makes this landscape park a contemporary pleasure garden for both nature and culture lovers. This is an earthly paradise for bird lovers: the number of bird species here is enormous. A selection from the range: gray-headed tit, glossy-headed tit, kingfisher, jay, chiffchaff, wood warbler, goldcrest, red flycatcher, collared redstart and tree creeper. Every year, hundreds of birds are ringed in Ter Rijst, after which they appear in many places in Europe and North Africa. The castle park is a wonderful place to wander around before you continue cycling to your starting point in Lembeek.