Bike rides
Get on your bike and explore Walloon Brabant and its tourist sites on two wheels!
Whether with family, friends or as a couple, enjoy some relaxing times in the great outdoors in a remarkable setting.
Stop off in a “Bikes welcome” establishment: you will not be disappointed by the welcome!
Bike rides...

Author Information






























































































Trip - Heritage secrets
Travel back to the Middle Ages on this 2-day cycling route! From Villers-la-Ville to Braine-le-Château, get on your bike for 72km of discovery, relaxation and culinary delights!
The circuit begins in Villers-la-Ville, but thanks to the network of points-nodes, leave from where you wish.
Find the complete description of this trip on our site, and discover the secrets of the heritage of Walloon Brabant...
1 further information
Signalétique (EN)
No signage

















Starting point
1495 Villers-la-Ville
Points of interest

Exceptional listed Walloon heritage, the Villers-la-Ville Cistercian Abbey is remarkably preserved since the 12th century!Explore its reception-shop area with a wide choice of local products, its interpretive centre and its tour itinerary. Get a panoramic 180° view of all the Abbey.The 8 beautiful gardens in very different styles are also to be admired. The Physic Garden is filled with all sorts of plants used in everyday life in the Middle Ages while the Monks’ Garden and Pharmacy Garden present medicinal plants past and present. The Abbey Garden, the Garden of Scents with its Meditative Path, and the timeline of old garden rosebushes form the three ornamental gardens. Two fruit gardens complete this set, the conservation and experimental orchard and the port of Brussels orchard.With the family of friends, explore Villers-la-Ville Abbey, its architecture, its history, its gardens and its animals!

Villers-la-Vigne is the vineyard of Villers-la-Ville abbey. Restored during the 1990s, it is formed by a plain and four south-facing terraces, nestled in the middle of a field surrounded by stone walls hundreds of years old. The Villers-la-Vigne® appellation comprises four products, all from different terroirs and made using different vinification techniques. Enjoy savouring the Villers-la-Vigne® white, Villers-la-Vigne® red, Mistelle de Villers-la-Vigne® white and Marc de Villers-la-Vigne® .

The restored microbrewery of the Abbey of Villers-la-Ville is installed in the former wash-house and honours this drink very much appreciated by the monks.New beers are being proposed as well as those brewed by the Confrérie des Hostieux Moines of the Abbey of Villers.

The St. Gertrude Collegiate Church is the pride and joy of Nivelles, with its impressive 102m nave with two opposing choirs and its 11th century crypt. This is one of the largest Romanesque churches in the world, an exceptionally handsome, grandiose monument that was consecrated in 1046 by Wazon, Bishop of Liege, before Henry III Emperor of the Holy German Empire.The Collegiate Church is still in use, regularly assembling Christians from the St. Gertrude Parish.You can also visit the crypt, the archaeological basement, the cloister and the central steeple that houses the bells and carillon.The southern turret boasts the Jean de Nivelles jacquemart, a copper warrior some 2.08 m high.The Nivelles Collegiate Church is a must-see. Don't miss it!

The Simone Tower, also called the Devil’s Tower and located close to the collegiate church Sainte-Gertrude of Nivelles, was for many years the premises of the League of Crossbowmen (Serment des arbalétriers), one of the civilian bodies charged with defending the ramparts of the city. Renovated in 2006, this tower is now the last testimony to the medieval walls which were constructed in the 12th century. There were no fewer than eleven towers and seven portcullis gates. The rampart was composed of a mighty fortification 2.50 m thick, surrounded by partially flooded moats outside, and reinforced with 8 m-wide embankments inside. In the tower, the guardroom, vaulted and pierced by arrow-loops, now houses a 3 dimensional map of the city of Nivelles as it looked around 1600, defended by the rampart and its moats. The tower is now accessible as part of a guided visit of the city of Nivelles.

Enjoy the superb environment as you relax with your family.The park was fitted out at the beginning of the 19th century. A French garden, two ponds, an English garden and flowerbeds stand between the walkways.As you stroll through, admire the magnificent sculptures by Albert Desenfans, Ducaju and Michiels. Don't miss the grimacing neo-Gothic gargoyles or the 17th century Baroque gate recovered from the St. Gertrude Collegiate Church.At the bottom of the garden, sports and leisure facilities are available. The Reine Astrid sports field and a large multipurpose gym await football, hockey, tennis, basketball and track teams.The listed estate has two styles of garden, French and English. There is a fountain and a lake of several hectares where fishing is permitted between April and December.

Perfectly located on the Grand Place in Nivelles city centre, the hotel is close to restaurants and shops and only ten minutes’ walk from the train station. It is recently refurbished and features two studios with kitchens and four superior rooms. The hotel offers the B&B Hotels remote check-in service to make your life easier. This free service allows guests to remotely obtain the number and access code of their room on the day of arrival.

On the main square in Braine-le-Château, the stocks are a symbol of infamy, a mechanism of high justice that were used to publicly shame a criminal. This is one of the rare examples to still have its lantern structure. It is made from blue stone and has a lantern structure that can hold a standing man. It has been restored and has been the symbolic monument of the village since 1521. It is unique in Europe.See the stocks on the small walking tour of Braine-le-Château.

Do not hesitate to enter this beautiful building from the early 16th century featuring a wonderful Renaissance sandstone gable. You will be warmly welcomed by the team at the Braine-le-Château tourist office.This building used to be the residence of the bailiff who was responsible for dealing with criminal matters. These days it very often has temporary exhibitions.The Bailiff’s House also houses the Tool Centre. Tools, artefacts, old books and documents for different professions are collected here. In particular, discover an exceptional collection of music engraving tools.Discover the Bailiff’s House on the small walking tour of Braine-le-Château.

The Lapidarium, or museum of the tomb stone, built onto Saint Remy’s church, at the site of the old cemetery, presents a collection of around sixty tomb stones, headstones and funeral crosses which is unique in Wallonia.Discover the Lapidarium on the small walking tour of Braine-le-Château.

Who could have guessed that in this chapel nestled in the heart of Ittre are 20 works by Marthe Donas, an internationally renowned Belgian artist... In the beautiful setting of the chapel of the ‘Sœurs de l’Enfant Jésus’, located in the heart of the village of Ittre, ten magnificent canvases by Marthe Donas are exhibited. The works of this principal Belgian representative of Cubism and the first Belgian abstract artist internationally recognised are known throughout the world, and the Museum of Ittre constitutes the greatest concentration of canvases by the artist collected to date.

This former stud farm is in a beautiful agricultural setting in Ittre. You will stay in charming rooms with rural decor in the peace and quiet of the countryside.Experience a different world..

Attractive annex fitted out on 2 levels in a handsome, venerable estate bordering on the landlord's fields and home.

You can be sure of a pleasant stay in this beautiful family house in the heart of the Villers-la-Ville countryside.
The application Cirkwi must be installed on your phone beforehand.
Once scanned, the route page opens directly in the application Cirkwi. All you have to do is click on the “embed" button. https://ws.cirkwi.com/ul/c/368975?stores