Cycling through the Bruges Ommeland

The white village of Lissewege
The village of Lissewege is a stone's throw from the Flemish coast and Bruges. This village is the starting point of this route. Lissewege is also called the 'white village', because the houses in the old village center were painted white centuries ago. You will also find an imposing church from the 13th century that towers above the village. This church is definitely worth a visit, but the old houses along the picturesque old Vaartje are also a feast for the eyes. Just outside the village center you will find the former Cistercian abbey Ter Doest. From Lissewege you cycle through the quiet rural areas to the Ghent-Bruges canal, one of the oldest canals in Western Europe.

Historic Bruges
Then you cycle along the edge of Bruges back to Lissewege. Be sure to take a detour and take a look at Bruges if you have time. This historic city is bursting with beautiful sights that you really must see.

The Bruges Canals
The current, world-famous Bruges Canals, which are protected as a World Heritage Site, are in fact the downstream part of the Zuidleie. Here you drive on a historic route, because until the mid-19th century the canal was the most important transport route for passengers and goods between Bruges and Ghent. The boats were pulled by horses or people on the canal bank. Where the barges stopped along the canal, small residential areas with inns emerged.