Avelgem: Cycling Routes, History and Hotels

Avelgem can be explored in different ways: by bicycle, on hiking trails, or by taking in historic buildings and art. If you are looking for a hotel in Avelgem, the activities you have planned can help you decide what to focus on during your stay. The cycling routes vary in length and course; at the same time, the town offers a range of cultural themes for planning a trip that is not focused solely on cycling.

Cycling Routes of Different Lengths

The Fietsnetwerk Leiestreek passes through Avelgem; maps are available at Spikkerelle. The 35-kilometre Leie-Schelderoute starts at the Pompgebouw van Bossuit. The Boerenhoven mountain bike route also starts there, with three loops of around 38 kilometres each. If you are looking for loops with a shorter stated distance, the “Hoeves met verhalen” cycling map features three routes of around 20 kilometres each.

The “Hoeves met verhalen” map also contains information about possible places to stop, bicycle repair stations, food and drink establishments, local product sales and picnic spots. The municipality also lists local e-bike rental providers. As providers may change, it is a good idea to check what is currently available before your trip. This lets you tailor your plans to the routes and the points of interest relevant to you.

Hiking Trails and Protected Landscape

The Mira walking route is 12.2 kilometres long and starts at Kerk Avelgem. The Droge voetenpad is shorter, at six kilometres; it starts and ends at Coupure Deweer, at Meersstraat 45 in Avelgem. These two distances provide a concrete guide for planning your day, without implying a walking time or assessment of the trail conditions.

The Avelgemse meersen nature reserve lies south and southeast of the town centre. If you are interested in landscape and nature, you can make this part of Avelgem a focus of your trip planning. The trails and nature reserve offer different themes alongside the cycling routes, rather than a single route defining the character of the town.

Buildings, Art and Local History

The Oude Pompgebouw van Bossuit combines the history of technology with a present-day starting point for cycling trips: it dates from 1860 and originally housed heavy steam engines. These pumped water from the Scheldt into the Bossuit-Kortrijk Canal. Since both the Leie-Schelderoute and the Boerenhoven mountain bike route start at the Pompgebouw, it is a useful reference point if you want to include cycling routes and industrial history in your plans.

The history of other buildings can also be traced through different dates. The Scheldeburcht in what is now Kasteelstraat was first mentioned in 1202 and has been a protected monument since 20 February 1939. The former industrial spinning mill Spinnerij Leurent, also known as De Groote Fabrieke, was built in 1907 to designs by Liétard and Forest of Tourcoing for the French industrialist Henri Leurent. It has been a protected monument since 8 December 2000. These dates refer respectively to the first mention and protected status, not to a single construction date.

The historic town centre retains a street pattern that includes the cobbled Kerkstraat, Doorniksesteenweg, Oudenaardsesteenweg, Leopoldstraat, Kasteelstraat and D. Vermandereplein. This pattern is already shown on the Ferraris map from 1770 to 1778. The Regionaal Archeologisch Museum aan de Schelde offers another way to explore local history: its collection focuses on objects from the Stone Age, Roman period and Merovingian period.

Art in Avelgem also includes the work of Ellen Harvey, who transformed the former Sint Amelbergakerk into a work of art in 2013. KARKAS is a life-size metal skeleton around 27 metres long, its shape somewhere between a submarine and a whale. Together, these examples range from the artistic transformation of a former church building to a stand-alone sculpture with an unusual form.

Mill and Regional Products

The Tombeelmolen turns and mills grain on the first and last Sunday afternoon of each month from April to October. If you want to see the mill in operation, plan your visit within this time window and check the specific date in advance. On the ground floor there is a cosy, old-fashioned café serving drinks and pancakes made with Tombeel flour. Farm products are also available at the Bouvriehoeve.

When looking for hotels in Avelgem, you can weigh the different themes mentioned here: cycling routes of varying distances, hiking trails, or culture and local history. This way, you can start planning the rest of your trip with the activities you want to shape your days.

Discover more destinations: Kerkhove, Dentergem, Jabbeke, Koksijde-Bad, Zonnebeke, Wervik, De Haan, Harelbeke.

For the broader travel overview: West Flanders.