Through villages and towns, enjoy beautiful Belgium

This route takes you to the rural area around Ham, a town in Belgian Limburg. You cycle through quiet agricultural land and through towns such as Engsbergen, Deurne and Beringen. Just above Tessenderlo you cycle through the valley of the Kleine Laak. The stream meanders carefree through the land here. In the valley you will still find natural biotopes, such as alder swamp forests, sedge, reed grass and honeysuckle. A little further on you cycle into the forests of Gerhagen, a nearly 1000 hectare large quiet area. In the lower part you cycle past meadows and fields. Higher up you cycle through forests and past heathland and drifting sands. At Bosmuseum Gerhagen there is a lookout tower of almost 19 meters high. Those who dare to climb it will be rewarded with a magnificent view of the area. The route takes you along the Paalse Plas, an oasis of greenery and water. On one of the benches you can relax or have a snack. The route continues along the Albert Canal at Beringen. This waterway is part of the Scheldt-Meuse-Rhine connection that Napoleon Bonaparte wanted to achieve with his Grand Canal du Nord. This route starts and ends in the municipality of Ham. You will find a number of special monuments here, such as the seventeenth-century rectory of Oostham. The church of Oostham even has the oldest church tower (from the tenth century) in the Benelux. After your beautiful trip, you will find plenty of opportunities in Ham for lunch, dinner or just a drink and a fresh Limburg pie. Route 181623 also starts from Ham.