The best cycling routes around Herne

The landscape cube ‘Dulle Griet’ is located on the flank of the Mark Valley in Herne, in a place where the landscape opens wide towards the old village center and the higher ridge of Kester. The name refers to the field name ‘Dulle Griet’, a historic plot that already appears in 19th century maps. From the wooden cube you look out over a typical Pajottenland backdrop: elongated fields, scattered farms and the gentle bends of the Mark.

Discover this dynamic wooden cube in Sint-Pieters-Kapelle. The diagonally pierced construction creates a unique heart-shaped window with a beautiful view of the church tower of Edingen. A perfect stop during a walk through the 'Groene Kwadrant' of Herne to reflect on the Bruegelian vistas.

In the center of Herne, the church tower, constructed from massive stone blocks, draws attention. It is the Church of Saint Peter and Paul. The current building has a nave and aisle in Romanesque style, and a choir and tower executed in Brabantine Scheldt Gothic style. Typical of this style are the four corner turrets around the spire. Remarkable is the age of the municipality: Herne is first mentioned as ‘Herinium’ in 844 and probably means ‘settlement near the stone’. Source: https://www.routeyou.com/nl-be/location/view/50432112

A beautiful mill, which is naturally rather small in the flat landscape because no significant water levels can be achieved here.

Thanks to this small bridge, you can cross the Mark River here on dry feet. The Mark rises in the Bois de Ligne, about 5 km south of Enghien. It enters Flanders 300 meters south of the Konijnenbos watermill. At the mill, it forms the border between Flanders and Wallonia for a few hundred meters. (Trekkings.be)

De Moulin de la Garenne, Moulin Coppens or Konijnenbosmolen is a grain and oil watermill on the Marcq (Mark), near rue Belle 13 (Enghien), with the building lengthwise to the waterway. It is first mentioned in 1335. In 1448-1451 it was leased by Engelbert Agniese. It was part of the domain of the Marcque. Jacques (1736) and Pierre-Charles (1750-'56) Parmentier were millers there. In the 18th century there was also a bark mill. The watermill is indicated on the Villaret map (1745-1748) as "Moulin de Marcques", on the Ferraris map (ca. 1775) as "Molen te Mercke". On the Cadastral Atlas of P.-C. Popp (ca. 1860) we find the "moulin à eau" on section A nr. 235b owned by Camberlyn d'Amougies, chevalier Hyacinthe-Emmanuel-Dieudonné-Ghislain-Guillaumme, rentier, Bruxelles. The mill remained active until after the Second World War; in 1957 it is described as "maison". This mill, located in the rue Belle on the Mark (near the regional border Wallonia - Flanders), still has its dilapidated metal undershot wheel and part of the grinding equipment. The mill weir is an adjustable, steel (valve) weir with a total head of 1.30 m, divided into 2 heads of 1.1 m and 0.2 meters. (Molenechos)

You can cross the Mark here safely (and without getting wet feet) via the iron bridge.

After a long and complex process, a significant step was taken at the end of 2021 to revitalize Galmaarden's town center. The municipal council will rebuild the former St. Peter's Church, which defines the image and identity of the Market Square, in the coming years and repurpose it into an attractive meeting place. The library, which is intended to play a truly community-building role in the future, will also be housed there. In this way, the protected monument connects the business community in the town center with the cultural activities of the Bailiff's House. The space should invite all residents and visitors to connect, relax, and experience. (Municipality of Pajottegem)