Drawing a heart-shaped route from Antwerp with a considerable amount of gravel roads was no easy task. But the inspiration of putting the heart on its side made it possible after all!
Almost starting in the centre of Antwerp, you dive into the field towards Mortsel after only 2 km. Via the Fort of Borsbeek, Vremde and ride through the fields to Emblem where we cross the river Nete. Between Kessel and Nijlen, we meander along singletrack and beautiful gravel lanes far from the typical ribbon development (lintbebouwing) to Bouwel, where we cross the Albert Canal.
We now enter the Kempen, a popular region in the Antwerp gravel scene. In Grobbendonk just before the town hall is the statue of Herman Vanspringel aka Monsieur Paris-Bordeaux, the local cycling hero. Behind this village lies a small gravel valhalla. In fact, around Vorselaar there are fewer paved than unpaved roads! We cross the beautiful Lovenhoek nature reserve.
Passing the wooded area of Halle-Zoersel, it then goes on to Westmalle Abbey, which in addition to its world-famous beer is also loved for the wooded area around it.
On the way back to Antwerp, we have some very nice stretches of compact gravel that we could not pass up, such as the Brechtse Heide, the Hof Ter Mik with its bombastic ‘medieval’ gate, the Inslag, the park of Brasschaat and the Peerdsbos. We now cycle back into the conurbation of Antwerp via Merksem. There we take some urban gravel strips before arriving back in Antwerp city centre.
