Biker-Friendly Places to Stay in Belgium

Albion Hotel is on the Sint-Jacobsstraat in the centre of Ieper (Ypres), a short walk from the Grote Markt and the Menin Gate, where the Last Post is sounded every evening. The First World War sites of the Westhoek are all around: cemeteries, memorials and museums, linked by quiet country lanes. The low hills of the Heuvelland, with the cobbled Kemmelberg, rise about 9 km to the south-west. Parking for bikes is not listed, so ask the hotel about a place off the street when you book.

Het Pachthof is in Borlo, a village in Gingelom in the south of Belgian Limburg, about 8 km in a straight line from Sint-Truiden. This is the Haspengouw, fruit country of orchards, rolling farmland and small roads, at its prettiest in spring when the trees blossom. Tongeren, the oldest town in Belgium, is about 20 km away, and Liege and the start of the Ardennes about 30 km. Parking for bikes is not on record, so ask the hosts before you arrive.

't Klokkenhof is on the Bredabaan in Brasschaat, the old main road from Antwerp north towards Breda, about 16 km in a straight line from the centre of Antwerp. There is a garage for the bikes. North of Brasschaat the country opens up into woods and heath around Kalmthout and the Dutch border, with quieter lanes than the busy roads around the city. It suits riders passing between the Netherlands and Belgium, or anyone who wants Antwerp within reach without staying in town.

Carlton Hotel Gent is on the Koningin Astridlaan in Ghent, close to the Sint-Pieters railway station and about 2 km from the medieval centre. The owner is a rider, useful when you want advice on getting in and out of the city. Ghent itself is a city for walking, with its canals, guild houses and the Gravensteen castle. Out of town, the Leie and Scheldt valleys offer flat, easy riding, and Bruges is about 39 km away. Ask about bike parking when you book.

Bikers Loft Groenedijk is in Oudenburg, in the flat polder country between Ostend and Bruges. Ostend and the North Sea coast are about 6 km away in a straight line and Bruges about 17 km, so a day can take in the coast road, the old town of Bruges and the canals and dykes in between. The roads are flat and straight, which makes this a place for relaxed touring rather than bends. Parking details are not on record, so ask the hosts where the bikes stand overnight before you arrive.

Anselmus Hotel is on the Riddersstraat in the historic centre of Bruges, within walking distance of the Markt and the canals. That makes evenings easy: park the bike and explore on foot. For riders there is a garage, the owner is a rider too, and route tips are on offer. The coast at Ostend and Zeebrugge is about 20 km away, and the Dutch border at Sluis about 15 km, so day rides can mix the polders, the dunes and Zeeland Flanders. Ask the hotel for the easiest way to reach the garage through the old town.

B&B Herberg Boerenhol is in Reningelst, a village in the Heuvelland of West Flanders, between Poperinge and the Kemmelberg. The hills here are low but steep, with cobbled climbs such as the Kemmelberg about 6 km away, and Ieper is about 7 km away in a straight line. Boerenhol has a garage, and its hosts hand out route tips, which helps in a maze of small lanes and First World War sites. The French border is a few minutes away, so rides into French Flanders are easy too.

Flanders Lodge is a hotel on the northern edge of Ieper (Ypres), about 2 km from the town centre and the Menin Gate. Being out of the centre makes arriving and leaving by bike easier than in the narrow old streets. The Westhoek around Ieper is full of First World War cemeteries and memorials, and the small roads between them make a good half-day ride; the Heuvelland hills with the Kemmelberg are about 11 km to the south-west. Bike parking is not on record, so check what the hotel offers before you arrive.

Hotel Denderhof is on the road to Aalst on the south side of Dendermonde, a town where the Dender flows into the Scheldt in East Flanders. Bikes sleep in a garage here, and the owner rides as well. The riding here follows the rivers: dyke roads and small lanes along the Scheldt, with Ghent about 25 km away in a straight line and Antwerp about 32 km. It works well as a stop on the way through Belgium or as a base for city trips without parking worries.