The best traffic-free bike rides in Haachts Broek

Since 1763, Cafe´ Maritime has been the name of the lock house along the Leuven-Dijle canal, already a cafe-restaurant back then. It is the only 18th-century lock house along the canal that has been preserved, along with the one at Zennegat. This protected monument in the classicist style dates from the period of Prince Charles of Lorraine, the Austrian Governor-General of the Netherlands. He dug the first spade for "the canal" on February 9, 1750. This was done with a silver spade, after which about 500 workers completed the 30-kilometer-long canal in 2 years. It was filled with water on December 21, 1752. The considerable water level difference was managed by 3 locks: Kampenhout, Mechelen, and 1 at Zennegat. After a number of dike and lock breaches, the task of the Mechelen lock had to be taken over by building 3 new locks: Boortmeerbeek, Battel, and Tildonk, which were ready in 1763. The lock in Tildonk is of the "buiksas" type, so named after the semicircular indentations in the walls. The walls of the 18th-century lock are still practically entirely authentic everywhere. It is a double lock with 2 consecutive basins of the "buik" type, from which the intermediate gates were removed (for long ships). Operation was previously done using capstans, capstan winches. Along with the lock, the lock keeper's house was also built, intended not only as a dwelling but also as a cafe, restaurant, and hotel. In the beautiful vaulted cellars, the draft horses could rest. Skippers and fishermen could get a drink and a bite there. Local residents came to pick up their stock of mussels, which were transported by horse-drawn barge from Zennegat via Mechelen. After standing "dry" along the water for half a century, this inn was restored and reopened by Brouwerij Palm during the summer of the millennium year 2000. The monumental wooden staircase and a beautiful tiled floor are the first eye-catchers, soon followed by the bow of the late "Balboa" which serves as a bar. The inauguration of this historically classified monument took place on May 29, 2000, by Steve Stevaert, then vice-president of the Flemish government and supervisory minister of NV Zeekanaal.

de sigma-werken, with the connection of the old meanders!

F3 is the cycle highway between Brussels and Leuven. In Zaventem, the route splits. You can go via the new bridge at NATO to Diegem and connect to the Brussels route C3. However, you can also go from here to the airport itself. Or you can use this section to cycle around the airport, which is interesting, as only cyclists are allowed on parts of the airport.

01/19 is a full-fledged runway that can be used in both directions. Heading 01 = heading around 010°; Heading 19 = heading around 190° It crosses the two parallel runways 07L/25R and 07R/25L, giving it an operationally flexible role in wind conditions that are not compatible with the parallel runways. Zaventem has 3 runways, together they form a Z-configuration.

Beautiful view

Where your bike rests between field, meadow and tranquility...

On one side it's gravel, on the other side it's asphalt...

The Oude Hansbrug has been a protected monument since 1988. It is a cast-iron, late 19th-century bridge over the Dijle between Keerbergen and Haacht. There has been a lot of history surrounding the Oude Hansbrug. It can already be found in the 13th century, albeit as a wooden bridge. In the 19th century, it was replaced by a cast-iron riveted bridge with a fixed section on the Keerbergen side and a drawbridge section on the Haacht side. During the First and Second World Wars, it was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt. In 1958, a new concrete bridge was built 200 meters upstream, and the Oude Hansbrug was retired. It could no longer handle the traffic flow. Deterioration began, and it soon had to be closed, even to pedestrians and cyclists, because it was no longer safe. It simply rusted away. Together with the historical societies of Haacht and Keerbergen and both municipal administrations, a battle against time began. It soon became clear that this battle was being lost, and restoration was out of the question because there was simply nothing left to restore. Rebuilding the bridge by perfectly replicating it was the only alternative to save this now-classified monument. While pillars and bridgeheads were being restored, the Flemish Region began replicating the old bridge: a perfect copy in the same materials as the original bridge. In the night of June 14 to 15, 2005, this bridge was brought to the site in pieces by three semi-trailers, and the next day it was assembled by a large crane. On August 27, 2005, the bridge was officially reopened. The Oude Hansbrug has been a protected monument since March 16, 1998. Source: https://www.keerbergen.be/product/292/oude-hansbrug