The best traffic-free bike rides around Boeschepe

From Belgian WWI rest zone to Trappist pickup point Today, cyclists and beer lovers come here to pick up their reserved crate of Westvleteren. More than a hundred years ago, this was a very different place. At the end of 1917, the area around St. Sixtus Abbey was set up as a Belgian rest zone. Soldiers could catch their breath here after their deployment at the front. Initially, the monks feared that the Belgian troops would cause nuisance, but that concern proved unfounded. The soldiers behaved exemplarily and helped the abbey where needed. A British officer described the place as an “oasis of rest and peace in the middle of the war desert.” Today, that peace still reigns here, only with a very different mission: no soldiers resting, but cyclists picking up their crate of Blond, 8 or 12. 🍺 Tip: picking up your Westvleteren here? Then take a look at the information board. You are standing in a place where war history and Trappist beer come together beautifully today.

Café De Helleketel is ‘Travelling through Time’. Since 1895, get off your bike, because this is a mandatory stop for every bon vivant! This colourful folk café with its characteristic blue-yellow shutters is hidden between the hop fields and the rolling hills of the Helleketel forest. Since 1895, the doors of De Helleketel have already been opening for passers-by, poachers, hikers and cyclists. Inside, the ceiling is full of witch dolls (a nod to the name "De Helleketel", which means witch’s cauldron) and you will also find folk games such as the traditional stove game. Outside on the terrace, you sit among the bicycles enjoying a beautiful view. Tip: order an iconic, homemade Picon from the house here or a hearty 'boerestute' (a richly filled sandwich). Feel free to ask for café owner Lena; she is a real village figure and the soul of this magical place!

St. Sixtus Abbey & In de Vrede: Trappist beer with a touch of mystery 🍻 A bike tour through the Westhoek is not complete without a stop at the St. Sixtus Abbey of Westvleteren. The brewery itself remains closed to visitors, but the abbey walls and the information center Het Claustrum offer a beautiful glimpse into the lives of the monks and the rich history of this special place. Right next to the abbey, you'll find In de Vrede, the meeting center where you can enjoy a Westvleteren Blond, 8, or 12, accompanied by a snack on the terrace. In the abbey shop, depending on availability, you can also purchase Trappist beer and official glasses. A delightful stop where tranquility, history, and an authentic West Flemish beer moment come together!

Cycling through the hop cathedrals 🍺🌿 The Sint-Sixtusstraat near Westvleteren is a delightfully quiet cycle path that takes you right through the typical landscape of the Poperinge hop region. On either side, meter-high wooden poles and wires rise up, making you feel like you are in an open-air cathedral of hops. During the growing season, the hop bines twist ever higher, forming an impressive green backdrop. Even after the harvest, the tall poles and wires remain a special and photogenic landscape. And of course, you'll be cycling here close to the Sint-Sixtus Abbey of Westvleteren, in the middle of a region where hops and beer have been linked for centuries. Pedal gently on, look up, and enjoy one of the most typical landscapes of the Westhoek!

Hop fields around the St. Sixtus Abbey 🍺🌿 Typical Poperingse hop fields regularly appear around the St. Sixtus Abbey. The meters-high wooden poles and wire nets form an impressive landscape where the hop plants enthusiastically climb upwards in the summer. In spring, the first green tendrils appear, and in late summer, the fragrant hop cones are ready for harvest. Even outside the growing season, the tall poles remain a recognizable feature of the landscape. A typical piece of the Poperingse region that immediately gives your bike tour around the abbey extra character! 🚴‍♂️

Nice dirt path parallel to the road.

Nice Statue of Eliane Cossey (Poperinge, 9 December 1902 – London, 1942), known by the nickname Ginger, was a striking red-haired precocious child in the Belgian town of Poperinge during the First World War. The café "A la Poupée", an unpronounceable name for English speakers, on the main square grew under the name "Ginger's" into one of the most famous taverns behind "The Ypres Salient". The appeal of the young diva can be read in various diary excerpts and in the Visitors Book with compliments and drawings. Ginger krijgt eigen standbeeld https://www.hln.be/.../ginger-krijgt-eigen-standbeeld.../

nicest cafe in poperinge