Along the inclines of the Tour of Flanders hiking route
Extended route description
You associate the Tour of Flanders with cycling, of course, but not everyone has the calves, the willpower or a suitable bike for it. Fans of the best race in the Flemish Ardennes can also explore a key part of the route on foot. There's no shame in that. Near the Koppenberg - the dreaded incline where the peloton of the Tour usually has to collectively dismount from their bikes - there is great hiking in complete tranquillity, in any season and at your own pace.
Starting point Nukerke
You start in Nukerke, a sub-municipality of Maarkedal, 6 km south of Oudenaarde. Park your car easily and for free near the starting point at the church. There you'll also find Bistro La Bonnotte, named after an exclusive salty spud from the French Atlantic island of Noirmoutier, which immediately gives away the speciality of the house: potatoes.
The Bonnotte itself is not on the menu here (it costs several hundred euros per kilo), but if you love a sophisticated dish, check the menu and opening hours of this restaurant online and book a table in advance. To work out the best time to book a table, keep in mind the distance of this route. The trip covers about 15 km. The average family walks along at a sedate 4 km per hour. At that pace, it stays fun for everyone.
Node 81 Look-out point
The first part of the walk is mostly on tarmac roads, before you get to the N60 a little further up. At checkpoint 81, on the way to the forest, you'll find a nice look-out point. Take a breather there for a moment if you feel like one. And if the walk is actually a bit too strenuous, you can shorten your route a little further up at node 80, by heading straight for 79 instead of 26. Although you'll miss the best part of the Spijker Forest, you'll also cut a full hour out of the total walk.
Node 80 Spijkerbos
From node 80 on, a precious piece of nature awaits you: Spijker Forest, one of the rare forests in the Flemish Ardennes that lies on a southern slope. If the weather cooperates, you can walk here in the sun from morning until late in the evening. Plus there's a play area in the middle of the forest: great fun for the kids: But keep in mind that you still have a lot of kilometres ahead of you at that point, so keep an eye on the time.
Node 79-27 Kortekeer and Koppenberg
Anyone coming here for iconic race tracks are in for a treat here when the Kortekeer comes into view. This dreaded 1 km-long tarmac road climbs an average of 6.4% and the gradient is as much as 17.1% on the steepest stretch. True connoisseurs know the Kortekeer and know that the Koppenberg is now very close by. This 'hump' of Melden is only a mere 80 metres long, but at its steepest point there is a 22% gradient. Most people prefer to do that on foot rather than pedalling. And not just on foot, but downhill too. Whether you'll be so lucky, we'll keep a secret for now.
Node 28-32 Koppenberg forest
Near the Onderbosstraat in Melden, on one of the flanks of the Koppenberg Forest, lies the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. A nice spot to take a break, with only the sound of a gurgling spring in the background. The Koppenberg and the three forests around it make up the 35-hectare Koppenberg Forest. In spring, when the wild forest hyacinth blooms, you can admire a carpet of blue flowers here. In the southern part are centuries-old common oaks, and here and there you can still see remnants of trenches from WWI, when the forest was used as a training ground. The Koppenberg itself, infamous from the Tour, has been protected as a monument since 1995. That means the cobblestones can't be touched, no matter how much they jut out in places. If it's too bumpy, you'll have to choose another route to get across.
Nukerke
After the Koppenberg Forest, you come to the N60 again, which you cross for a second time to arrive back at the church of Nukerke shortly thereafter. There are no cafes in the village unfortunately, but a good tip nearby is De Zwarten Engel, a small farm cafe on the flanks of Bossenare, a hill in Etikhove, another sub-municipality of Maarkedal, just 3 km away. This is a wonderfully peaceful spot, with a beautiful green garden, a food and drink menu, and a charming wooden gypsy wagon to shelter from the sun, or the rain. Check the opening times online, because as with most cafes in the Flemish Ardennes, this one has limited opening times. Nevertheless, it's a nice end to the day.
7 wandelroutes met het mooiste uitzicht
