This beer and bike tour combines two features of Belgium: you can barely see it on a map, but it’s home to the world’s best beers. Over a course of 214 kilometers, we visited 7 breweries in southern Belgium and the north of France. Bike through forests and rolling hills in the Belgian Ardennes on this 4-day cycling tour for beer lovers.

Getting There

The RAVeL network in Wallonia, Belgium’s southern half, is made up by 1,500 kilometers of old railways and canal towpaths that were converted into hiking and cycling paths. These are well-marked, green routes that are isolated from car traffic. But there is a caveat: the rest of Wallonia is the Wild West when it comes to sidewalks and bicycle paths. This route navigates on safe terrain as much as possible, but be prepared for stretches of adventure.

Stay

We carried our camping gear with us, so we could set up our tent along the route. This part of Belgium harbors a lot of campgrounds in a tranquil, natural setting. Most of the towns on this route see tourism, so you can find small hotels and B&Bs as well.

Day 1: Solre-Saint-Géry » Revin

Starting Point

Our starting point was Solre-Saint-Géry, a small town in the Belgian province of Hainaut. We stayed at a friend’s grandmother’s house so we could have an early start. An alternative start of the route is nearby Lac de l’eau d’Heure, a scenic lake with several lodging options. Fueled up with a homemade breakfast, we embarked on this 4-day beer and bike adventure.

Part 1: Solre-Saint-Géry to Chimay

• Distance: 34 kilometers
• Route: RAVeL 109/2
• Level: Easy
• Brewery visit #1: Abbaye Notre Dame de Scourmont & Espace Chimay

Solre-Saint-Géry is located on the Ravel 109/2, a pleasant green route that leads all the way to Chimay. When we made it to our first stop in double the indicated time, we concluded that Google Maps is very optimistic time-wise. We rewarded our effort with a degustation of Chimay at Espace Chimay. In addition to a café-restaurant where you can sample all the beers and cheeses, the Chimay Experience is an exposition on the history of the Trappist beer.

Chimay is still brewed at the Abbaye Notre Dame de Scourmont, located just down the road from Espace Chimay. The abbey can be visited as part of the Chimay Experience, but the brewery is closed to the public. Chimay is one of 11 Trappist beers in the world, of which 5 are brewed in Belgium. To be certified as an Authentic Trappist Product, the beer must be produced under supervision of monks within the walls of a monastery, with a non-profit focus.

Part 2: Chimay to Revin (FR)

• Distance: 28 kilometers
• Route: National road with no bike lane, followed by country roads in France
• Level: Hard

A mapped-out RAVeL route would have been perfect after this quadruple Chimay degustation, but instead we landed on a farm road that led us into France. To our pleasant surprise, the roads on the other side of the border were much quieter than the national roads in Belgium that Google Maps proposed. We continued on these country roads until the town of Revin.

Stay: Camping Les Bateaux, Revin

We set up our tent at campground Les Bateaux in Revin, a charming French town on the banks of the Meuse river. Restaurant La Bonne Source served us a delicious rustic dinner on their outdoor patio, which was just what we needed after this adventurous day.

Day 2: Revin » Rochefort

Part 1: Revin to Givet

• Distance: 39 kilometers
• Route: Voie Verte Trans-Ardennes (Trans-Ardennes Greenway)
• Level: Easy
• Brewery Visit #2: Microbrewery Le Clos Belle Rose

The Trans-Ardennes Greenway runs along the Meuse river, with a beautiful and relaxing ride from Revin to Givet as a result. We made a pit-stop in Haybes to try the creative beers from microbrewery Le Clos Belle Rose. The brewery is housed in one of the only buildings that survived World War 2 in Haybes, nowadays a charming B&B.

Part 2: Givet to Houyet

• Distance: 16 kilometers
• Route: National roads with no bike lane and heavy traffic
• Level: Hard

The peaceful ride lasted about two hours, until we started to climb our way back to Belgium. At the time we entered the Belgian province of Namur, trucks were whizzing by as we made our way uphill. This tough stretch along busy roads ends when reaching Houyet, taking anywhere from an hour to two depending on your climbing skills.

Part 3: Houyet to Rochefort

• Distance: 18 kilometers
• Route: RAVeL 150 (B)
• Level: Easy

Houyet is the start of an enjoyable cycle path through the forest, marked by the RAVeL 150 (B). We took a break with a picnic and refreshing beers from Li P’tit Bambou, the perfect forest hideaway located on the RAVeL. Today’s cycling ended the way it started, with an easy and scenic ride along the river until reaching the town of Rochefort.

Stay: Rochefort

The camping we stayed at has been replaced by cabin rentals Moulin de Rochefort. Rochefort is the home of another Belgian Trappist beer. The abbey is located a short ride from town, but restaurant La Gourmandise offers the full Rochefort experience. They serve most Trappist beers, including the ones from breweries abroad. The dinner menu is made up of rustic Ardennes classics that pair perfectly with a Rochefort.

Day 3: Rochefort » Purnode

Part 1: Rochefort to Houyet

• Distance: 22 kilometers
• Route: RAVeL 150 (B)
• Level: Easy
• Brewery Visit #3: Abbey of Notre-Dame de Saint-Rémy (Rochefort)

A short detour leads from Rochefort town to the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Saint-Rémy, where Rochefort is brewed. The abbey and brewery are closed to the public, but you can buy beers directly from the monks. We must have looked a little worn-out after ending up on the hiking path instead of the biking path to the abbey, because the monk offered us two beers for free.

After this detour, we returned to the RAVeL 150(B) with destination Houyet. This is the same beautiful route we took the previous day, but in the opposite direction. We enjoyed our holy gift while taking in the scenery.

Part 2: Houyet to Dinant

• Distance: 25 kilometers
• Route: Country roads, first uphill than downhill to Dinant
• Level: Medium
• Brewery Visit #4: Brasserie Caracole

In Houyet, the RAVeL ends and we continued back onto regular roads. It is mostly uphill until reaching Brasserie Caracole. This unique microbrewery still brews the artisanal way, in old copper vats heated by wood fire. You can take a tour of the brewery or go straight to the cozy medieval-style tasting room. Our tasting was followed by a downhill ride all the way to Dinant.

Part 3: Dinant to Purnode (Optional)

• Distance: 8 kilometers
• Route: Non-stop climb for 8 kilometers
• Level: Hard
• Brewery Visit #5: Brasserie du Bocq

Dinant is a charming city with an impressive natural backdrop, the perfect spot to call it a day. For reasons unknown, we continued on to Brasserie du Bocq. It is located just 8 kilometers outside of Dinant, but entails a non-stop climb out of the valley. When we made it to the brewery, we couldn’t move for the next couple of hours, sampling most of their beers in the meantime. The brewery is no longer open to the public, but you can still try the beers in cafés across Dinant (and save yourself a tough climb).

Stay: Dinant

When we finally found the courage to get up and bike our way back to Dinant, the owners treated us to another round. Since it was already late, we headed downhill to nearby Camping du Bocq. Dinant has a lot of accommodation options, from hotels to B&Bs and a campground along the river.

Day 4: Purnode » Maredsous

Part 1: Purnode to Dinant (Optional)

• Distance: 10 kilometers
• Route: Country roads, mostly downhill except for climbing out of the camping
• Level: Medium
• Brewery Visit #6: Maison Leffe

The last day of our trip started with an arduous climb from the camping back to the brewery in the pouring rain. Luckily it was then downhill to Dinant, where we treated ourselves to breakfast at Côté Sax B&B.

Dinant is home to the Abbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe, where Leffe was brewed from 1240 until the French revolution. The Leffe-museum Maison Leffe is aptly housed in a former monastery and offers an interactive look into the history of the beer. You can taste the nine modern varieties of Leffe, nowadays owned by AB InBev, with great views of Dinant and the Meuse river.

Part 2: Dinant to Maredsous

• Distance: 20 kilometers
• Route: RAVeL 150(A)
• Level: Medium
• Brewery Visit #7: Abbey of Maredsous

We biked the last stretch along RAVeL 150(A), which starts on the banks of the Meuse and leads to Maredsous Abbey via a forest path. The monks of Maredsous stopped brewing in the 1960s and sold the recipes to Duvel Moortgat, who recently installed a microbrewery in the abbey. We rewarded our final climb with one more degustation platter of delicious beers and cheeses. This Belgian beer and bike-route is a great outdoor adventure for beginners, who love beer slightly more than biking.