Day 1: Brussels - Leuven

• Brussels-Leuven: 38 kilometres  (23.6 miles)
• Art Cities Route
• Route / GPX

We begin the day at the Grote Markt in Brussels.  It would be hard to begin a cycling tour from a more impressive place. The UNESCO World Heritage buildings around the square with their beautifully decorated façades are the first major highlight  on this adventure. Since it was our first experience cycling through Brussels, we decided to make a detour to the ‘European Quarter’ on our way out of the city, so that we could gaze in awe at the buildings of the European Parliament, the European Council and the European Commission.

Brussels is a very bike-friendly city. We travel eastwards along the cycle paths out of the city and are soon surrounded by nature and quiet residential areas. Tervuren Park with its sprawling ponds, dense greenery and mighty trees is our personal natural highlight at this point of the r journey. We watch herons, ducks and chicks and listen to the songs of the birds. It’s also worth visiting the Africa Museum here.

Leaving the park behind, we reach  the only climb of the day before rolling down into Leuven. Leuven is a very beautiful city known for the wonderful buildings around the Oude Markt and as the capital of beer;where better to raise a glass than in Leuven!