Lembeek, Rebecq and Enghien

Just south of Brussels you will find the Zenne valley, the birthplace 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 that 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 17th century farm. Here you can marvel at Gallo-Roman archaeology and the art treasures of the deanery of Tubize. Don't forget to take a look at the playground equipment and school supplies from the period around the turn of the previous century. Further on, in Rebecq, you will find more good reasons to get off the bike. The Bierhuis, dedicated to the local beer production of the artisanal brewery Lefebvre, is located in the picturesque Kleine Molen van Arenberg. The old tools and antique collections tell the story of the beer - a must for every beer lover! The Arenberg mill is also worth a visit. This witness from the past has now become an important cultural centre. This jewel of the Walloon Brabant heritage rises in the heart of the village at the end of the Senne. The mill still has the impressive machinery that drives the paddle wheel. The tourist office is housed 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 Zenne - which is known here in Wallonia as La Senne - when you come across the Moulin d\\\'Hou. This water mill dates from the 18th century, so it is an old one. 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 of the Pajottenland. Be sure to get off here, because the park can only be entered on foot and it would be a shame to miss this beautiful spot. The castle park is laid out in English style around a neoclassical castle, a Pajotten square farm, built in 1860 on the foundations of an even 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 complete renovation in 1869, the year that the landscape park was also laid out. This park is one of the most beautiful in Flanders, with ponds fed by numerous sources. Footpaths 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 modern-day paradise for both nature and culture lovers. For bird lovers, this is an earthly paradise: the number of bird species here is gigantic. A selection from the range: black-capped tit, marsh tit, kingfisher, jay, chiffchaff, marsh warbler, goldcrest, spotted flycatcher, redstart and tree creeper. Hundreds of birds are ringed in Ter Rijst every year, to then appear in many places in Europe and North Africa. The castle park is a lovely place to wander around for a while before cycling on to your starting point in Lembeek.