E-bike chapels route

This e-bike route takes you through the Hageland, the charming region near Leuven. You drive through a rolling landscape that is dotted with fields, meadows and sunken roads. You also cycle through the Heverleebos, where many red American oaks grow. You will visit several charming villages where you can take your time to relax on a terrace and order one of the many local delicacies. In this region you will see many chapels along the way. The Chapel of Overlo is built of rough quarry stone and is said to date from the beginning of the eleventh century. Three Romanesque windows are still visible in the walls. The chapel was enlarged in the seventeenth century. In the castle park at the castle of Arenberg you will also find the Sint-Lambertus chapel, the well-preserved remains of a former Romanesque parish church from the eleventh century. Of course you can also see the castle and the associated Mill of Arenberg here. In the fourteenth century, the lords of Heverlee built their first castle here. From the beginning of the sixteenth century, the current castle was built in Renaissance style. It was radically renovated in neo-Gothic style in the course of the nineteenth century. In 1916, the Duke of Arenberg donated the domain to the University of Leuven, today the green campus is used by the Faculty of Engineering. Hoegaarden is the most famous village you will pass through, the name is connected to the wheat beer. It will not surprise you that Hoegaarden is a real beer community. Once there were dozens of breweries, since 1966 only De Kluis brewery is left. In addition to Hoegaarden, De Verboden Vrucht en Das is also made here. Most of the buildings in Hoegaarden date from the eighteenth century, the golden age of the village. You see monumental farms and the Sint-Gorgonius Church, which is built from white Gobertange sandstone. Around 1750, this originally Romanesque church had fallen into such disrepair that it was rebuilt, but this time in a rococo style unusual for the Low Countries. The town of Tienen is also very worthwhile to drive through. Tienen is known as a sugar city because of the production of sugar cubes. In the center you can see some special buildings, such as the beguinage from the thirteenth century, one of the oldest in Belgium. This location was almost completely destroyed during the aerial bombings in 1944. Some monastic buildings, the infirmary and the Paterskerk were spared. In 1976 the church burned down, after which the ruins were turned into a walking park. At the back of the Grote Markt, the second largest market square in Belgium, you will find the town hall that was originally built in Flemish Renaissance style. In 1837 the facade was rebuilt in neoclassical style. The route starts and ends in Hotel & Restaurant De Bibliotheek in Valbeek. In the restaurant you can enjoy culinary, homemade specialties from the Belgian-French kitchen and an extensive wine list in a cozy and intimate atmosphere. Do you want to discover more of the beautiful surroundings? Then spend the night in one of the comfortable accommodations, because route 159135 also starts here.