Cycle paradise, part 3

And a diverse range of scenery it is. We’ve taken you through orchards, farms, forests and heath. We’ve traversed flatlands, rolling hills and engaging villages. Our Limburg biking series comes to a close this week in Lommel, a municipality in the far, northwest corner of the province that’s known as the Natuurstad van Vlaanderen (Nature City of Flanders). And with this ride, I think it’s safe to say that we’ve confirmed Limburg’s claim as a fietsparadijs (cycling paradise).

For the first two trips, I followed a couple of new bike routes being promoted by the Limburg tourist office for 2010. Their detailed maps and simple system of interconnecting paths with numbered junctions make navigating easy, even for someone as directionally challenged as myself.

For my third ride, I decided to be a little more adventurous and create my own route. Itching for a change of scenery, I planned the final route around water and sand. The ride circles around Lommel and includes both conventional and unconventional features of the Flemish countryside – tree-lined canals (always a crowd pleaser) and “The Sahara,” a surprisingly beautiful desert landscape.

I picked up the 2010 Limburg fietskaart (cycling map) and started at the Lommel train station, which is just a minute away from path 267 (follow the signs and head west from the train station). Be patient: the first several kilometres on 267 are the least attractive part of the ride. You’ll navigate through a big industrial park and wind farm. But the trail is wide and flat and separate from the road – and something about passing so close to the giant energy-generators is slightly invigorating.

After the industrial park you’ll be amongst trees and then a quiet residential area. There are numerous walking trails off the path as well as benches. Keep your eyes open on 267, as you near the bridge. The path brings you first under and then over a bridge that straddles the Beverlo canal. If it’s a sunny day, you might welcome a stop at the shaded bench under the bridge.

At the knooppunt (junction) take path 260. It’s a short but scenic ride, with leafy trees on one side and the canal on the other. In fact, around junction 260 is a perfect stopping point. If you’ve worked up an appetite, you’ll find De 7 Heerlijkheden, a restaurant with a large terrace that specializes in charcoal-grilled ribs and Belgian cuisine.

There are also a couple of pleasant picnic spots near this junction if you’ve brought your own provisions. You can lounge at a picnic table and watch the yachts cruise around near De Blauwe Kei, a pretty and popular tourist area and marina at the intersection of the Beverlo and Maas-Schelde canals.

From 260, take 232, 231 and then 230. First you’ll cross the Maas-Schelde canal and then you’ll have a seven-kilometre ride along the water. This is a scenic stretch with plenty of greenery and wildflowers. You’ll likely see a mix of both young and old, competitive and leisure cyclists on this straight, flat path.

At junction 230, make a right towards Lommel. After you pass the sports park, De Soeverein, turn right towards path 260. The scenery shifts here in unexpected and interesting ways. First I noticed the fragrant, sweet scent of pine needles warmed by the afternoon sun. Then there were tree-lined paths; finally there were sand dunes and an oasis of clear, blue water.

This is a very unique 200-hectare natural area dubbed “the Sahara.” Years ago, a nearby zinc smelter took a toll on the vegetation of this area, leaving only the quartz sand that Lommel is known for (the fine, white sand is prized for glass making).

Sand mining in this area in the 1950s and ’60s created the lakes. Pine trees were planted by the local government to create a “green belt”, preventing further drifting of sand dunes and loss of habitat. The resulting desert-like landscape with sparkling blue lakes surrounded by Scots and Corsican pines is truly distinctive.

You can find several rare species in the Sahara, including beetles, birds and lizards. If you’re lucky, you might see a Green tiger beetle or Northern dune tiger beetle on your visit, or a woodlark.

There is a covered picnic area where you can park your bike and walk out to the lake. I visited on a warm day and had to resist the urge to take a dip – swimming isn’t allowed, but I did see a few people wading into the cool waters and crossing the lake by means of a sand bar. Besides the bike path, there are two designated walking paths in the Sahara as well as an equestrian trail.

To finish the route, you can either keep going towards 260 (on the opposite side of the canal) and then retrace your route back to the station or you can just turn around (like I did) to make a loop of about 30 kilometres in total. Follow the signs for “Lommel Centrum” and then “Fietsnetwerk” and you’ll come back to the station via the town’s centre in no time.

Lingering in Lommel

If you have some extra time in Lommel, you might like to check out Het Glazen Huis, or The Glass House, the Flemish Centre for Contemporary Glass Art. This unique building (designed by Brussels architect Philippe Samyn) with its tall glass cone is definitely worth a stop. The centre features information and education about glass art as well as rotating exhibits of national and international contemporary glass artists.

www.hetglazenhuis.be

Getting there

You can rent a bike to explore this area for €9/day at De Soeverein sports park, which also has maps. From the Lommel train station, you can also take a De Lijn belbus (which you have to call in advance) to the Soeverein (Sportveldenstraat stop). Lommel is only serviced by one train an hour. If you get thirsty waiting for the next train, walk over to De Mulder, a friendly café with an outdoor terrace that’s in view of the station.

De Soeverein
Sportveldenstraat 10
Lommel
www.desoeverein.lommel.be