Halen, Neerlinter and Waanrode

This bike ride starts in Liebroek, near Diest. This rural route takes you through the wide valley area of the Grote Gete, full of grasslands, bordered by hedges and rows of poplars. In Budingen you can see where Kleine and Grote Gete merge into a river. You cycle a long way here on the so-called IJzeren Weg, a former railway line that connects three towns in the east of the province of Flemish Brabant: Tienen, Zoutleeuw and Diest. It has been more than a quarter of a century since a train puffed past here: passenger traffic on this railway line was stopped in 1957 and in 1966 the last freight train also ran between Halen, Geetbets and Diest. Now that it has been converted into a cycle path, you can cycle here for miles undisturbed, without any car traffic. Only at the beautiful village of Neerlinter do you veer off the old track - fortunately, because this way you can immediately look around here from your bike. Further on, in Hoeleden, you really should get off to visit the Jacobinahof. In this beautifully restored 18th-century square farm, hostess Jacobina has exhibited her Madonnas in a museum, where three centuries of Flemish lace can also be seen. In the Renaissance hall, you can marvel at 17th-century furniture, carpets and Delft pottery. In the herb house, lessons are given in the use of herbs from the herb garden, where vegetables, herbs and flowers grow luxuriantly. The rose garden adds a colourful touch to the whole. Feeling hungry? In the guest room, you can enjoy Hageland delicacies and house specialities. In high spirits, you continue pedalling in the direction of Waanrode, the flower village of Hageland. The village has already won national and European awards - so it is worth taking a look around before returning to the starting point.