Oppuurs, Londerzeel and Sint-Amands

Klein-Brabant is a Flemish region in the triangle of cities between Antwerp, Brussels and Ghent. The Scheldt and the Rupel, a tributary of the Scheldt, flow through this area. In this varied landscape you cycle through polders, meadows, fields and along the (largely private) Lippelobos where a hundred different types of fungi can be found. Traditionally, this is a water-rich area with many streams and canals that were constructed for the exploitation of peat in the nineteenth century. You will therefore see many water-loving plants and animals in the polders. Poplars, willows and ash trees also adorn the landscape. Diepensteyn Castle is an old medieval moated castle from the thirteenth century. The last residents left the castle after the French Revolution at the end of the eighteenth century. Since 1989, the building has been owned by the Brouwerij Palm, which co-financed the restoration work in the nineties of the last century. You cycle through a number of old and typical Flemish villages, such as Opdorp. This village seems like a true beacon. On the territory of Opdorp lies the geographical center of Flanders, as students of the Faculty of Applied Sciences in Leuven calculated after 120 hours of hard work via GPS measurements. This center is strikingly enough located at the so-called Three Provinces Point, where East Flanders, Antwerp and Brabant meet.