The best road cycling routes around Overijse

Nice cycling with a good surface and no traffic.

The most visible of Dzia's works at the station. Look for the others too. For those who don't know Dzia: some time ago an article appeared in OKV (Openbaar Kunstbezit Vlaanderen) with a photo of a work here at the station and the following description of Dzia: "Dzia is also passionate about animals. He mainly depicts wild animals. Foxes and birds seem to be recurring favorites. His unique style creates a mosaic of colors that follows the contours and shapes of the animal. In his more recent work, he adds tonal shading within each defined area, enhancing a sense of volume. His work tries to give animals a place back in an urban environment. The locations of his murals are carefully chosen and he positions his colorful animals in such a way that a playful interaction with the surroundings is created." And you can find that 40-page dossier on street art in Flemish cities at https://www.okv.be/sites/default/files/2020-09/Street%20art%20in%20Vlaamse%20steden.pdf

A series of beautiful works by Dzia that have been there for a while, see: https://www.ringtv.be/cultuur-beeldende-kunst/graffitikunstenaar-smukt-treinstation-groenendaal-op The colourful birds are however a bit newer, see: https://www.instagram.com/p/DKKVbl6oZ5M/ And if you are in Groenendaal and like Dzia's work, also check out what he did with the ecoduct: https://www.werkenaandering.be/nl/lees-mee/nieuws/beestige-graffiti-kleurt-ecoduct-groenendaal For those who don't know Dzia: some time ago an article appeared in OKV (Openbaar Kunstbezit Vlaanderen) about street art in Flemish cities with a photo of a work that you find here at the station and the following description of Dzia: "Dzia is also passionate about animals. He mainly depicts wild animals. Foxes and birds seem to be recurring favourites. His unique style creates a mosaic of colours that follow the contours and shapes of the animal. In his more recent work, he adds tonal shading within each defined area, which enhances the sense of volume. His work tries to give animals a place in an urban environment again. The locations of his murals are carefully chosen and he positions his colourful animals in such a way that a playful interaction with the environment arises." And this 40-page dossier on street art in Flemish cities can be found at: https://www.okv.be/sites/default/files/2020-09/Street%20art%20in%20Vlaamse%20steden.pdf

The Groenendaal station and its associated shelter were built in the typical "national" station style between 1893 and 1896, in this case a rather luxurious execution due to the abundant use of natural stone and great attention to detail. This can possibly be explained by the great attraction of Groenendaal to the Brussels bourgeoisie as an ideal starting point for a forest walk combined with a restaurant visit, but also by the figure of Leopold II, who was reportedly directly involved in the design and was a regular visitor to the Groenendaal racecourse (1889). The Groenendaal station, near the Zoniënwoud, is the only station building on the Brussels-Luxembourg line in Flemish territory. This railway line was built between 1847 and 1857 by the "Grande Compagnie du Luxembourg", which also had the management concession. Inventory of Immovable Heritage: Groenendaal station with shelter, https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/200186

Nice challenge through the glowing landscape.

View of the famous Lion of Waterloo and its accompanying mound, which will celebrate its bicentennial in 2026. They were constructed at the request of King William I Frederik, using clay soil from the surrounding area. William I, who lived from 1772 to 1843, was the first and only king of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. He commissioned many works and is also known as the merchant king and the canal king. His son, William II, was second-in-command of the British-Dutch-German forces. After his supposedly courageous actions at the Battle of Quatre-Bras, two days before Waterloo, he was also called "the hero of Waterloo." King William I commissioned the construction of the Lion of Waterloo in his honor. However, the British considered him a troublemaker, who took unnecessary risks and made many mistakes. Moreover, the one-sided and unjustified focus on the role of the impulsive William led to many Dutch heroes being ignored during the battle. You can read more about this at https://geschiedenismagazine.nl/was-de-prins-van-oranje-wel-de-held-van-waterloo-1815 The mound is 41 meters high, has a diameter of 169 meters, and slopes at a 30-degree angle. It is crowned by a lion, symbolizing the victory of the monarchies of the time. Sources: - https://www.regiedergebouwen.be/nl/projects/de-leeuw-van-waterloo - https://historiek.net/koning-willem-i-der-nederlanden/172414/

hard path

It's not as gloomy as all underpasses