Driving through the 'Kempen' you come across various views and environments in which one thing is central. You might not even notice it if you don't pay attention to it, but actually you drive from one bridge to another ...
In total, the Kempen is intersected by no fewer than 7 canals and a lot of rivers of various sizes.
The rivers are very important in the context of the drainage of the Kempen. After all, the Kempen soil is full of clay (hence the many brickyards and clay pits scattered here and there) and the water must therefore be washed away along the surface by a multitude of rivers and canals.

The canals have been created to guarantee the economic opening up of the region and the brickyards and sand extraction areas made eager use of them. Because in addition to the richness of the clay, the Kempen white sand is also sought after, especially by the glass manufacturers.
Today, the water and wetlands of the entire Kempen play a mainly tourist role. Many 'townspeople' seek the calming effect of the Kempen and its water features to escape the 'rat race'.

In the Kempen, on sunny weekend and holiday days, you will therefore not only regularly meet some motor tourists, but also others who explore the region on foot, by bicycle, canoeing, swimming or sailing. So many people, just take it into account ....

The route starts in Kasterlee, a major tourist attraction. Kasterlee offers something to everyone. Hiker, cyclist or gastronome, there is apparently paradise somewhere here ... Even as a motorcyclist you will enjoy yourself here in detail. There may be no mountains or sharp pins to be found, but the field roads are phenomenal (and perhaps also police control and speed camera free ...). Watch out for the many walkers and cyclists that you will undoubtedly encounter on nice days.

The market of Kasterlee and the surrounding streets offer more than enough opportunity to find a meeting place, although we certainly recommend café 'De Valk' before you leave. There are some parking spaces at the café itself and the atmosphere is typically Kempen and cozy. Watching the motorbike friends approach from the terrace while enjoying a nice steaming coffee is never bad ...

Shortly after departure and leaving the market, you can choose at route point 3 to fill up the tank again a little further on the track. After all, the first petrol station on the route is 80 kilometers away. This is already a measure of the size of roads that we are going to enjoy here. After all, few petrol stations can be found on field roads.

From Kasterlee we first drive towards Tielen and between route points 4 and 5 you will find the famous paracommando camp of Tielen. Here 'the best of the best' of the Belgian army is trained. So you don't have to be surprised if you see a fully packed soldier walking along the road on a warm sunny day. Everyone has his hobby, of course, but personally we prefer to have a motor underneath ...

At route point 6 you may be pleasantly surprised to see the Tiel watermill, driven by the river Aa, which has been given the strength it needs to power the mill here. Very nicely laid out on a typical Kempen farm and worth a photo stop.
We recommend a next stop on route point 7, especially if you are an ice cream lover. In Belgium, there is a 'milk quota' and farmers are only allowed to sell a maximum of milk to prevent the increase in the 'milk pool'. Many farmers have therefore chosen to process their products themselves and the “'IJssloeberke' has had a reputation to maintain in the field of ice cream for many years. Overestimate yourself, but it is best not to… with two scoops of ice cream from the IJssloeberke you really get around.

After the 'Sloeberke' the route usually continues through typical Kempen fields and forests. Very beautiful with times and you think you are really far from the inhabited world sometimes, although you do cross the obligatory village center here and there.

Slowly but steadily you approach the Antwerp metropolis, but fortunately we stay away from that. The closest you can get to them in Oelegem, a suburb of Antwerp, where we find ample parking space on Torenplein and a pleasant break spot in brasserie 'De Leeuw'.

Shortly after departure and after the roundabout (rp21) you cross the Albert Canal. No less than 40% of Flemish drinking water passes along this canal. And when you drive under the bridge of the highway, you may see some sailboat masts on the left that seem to be lying there inexplicably. You will not see much of it, but if you see water running from the shoulder to your left, it is best to put your finger in the hole… otherwise one of the largest Flemish reservoirs - which is also used for sailing, of course - will empty.

Shortly after route point 25 you first pass a canal, followed by a river, crossed almost by the same bridge. Here you will pass the Netekanaal and the Nete itself.

The Nete is one of the largest Kempen rivers which, despite its limited length of 76 strongly winding kilometers, is even commercially navigable for a large part. And where the Nete and the Dijle merge, the Rupel is created, which flows into the great Scheldt.

The Netekanaal not only takes over the navigability of the Nete where the river is struggling, but it also connects the Scheldt with the Maas via the Albert Canal. What you call the perfect parallel road because it allows skippers to avoid busy sailing in Antwerp.

If desired, you can deviate from the route at route point 27 and visit the (beautiful) center of Lier and the famous Zimmer Tower. Lier is also the place where the small and large Nete meet. Naturally, this confluence has also brought the necessary economic prosperity with it and in Lier this is also more than visible in the beautiful buildings of the city. The famous Zimmer Tower with its astronomical clock is just one example.

After the passage along Lier we meander back together with the Nete and the Wimp in the direction of the Kempen heart and we drive towards Geel. You drive a few more times on the Nete (rp 29 and 32). Take a look at the change of format: as you return to the Kempen and the origin of the river, you will notice that the river folds back to the size of a brook with megalomania.
Hard to believe that a few miles down the river, larger boats can already use the river.
It may give you a good idea of the drainage required to keep the clay-rich Kempen dry ...

At route point 35 you will meet the first petrol station on the route, followed shortly after by a stop at café Berkemus, a pleasant café to stretch your legs.
At route point 44, cross the Albert Canal again and enter the Geel area. A particularly pleasant stretch of road awaits you here ...
You will pass the Nete here three more times (rp 46, 52, 54) to find your way via Larum to the canal from Bocholt to Herentals. After the nice drawbridge you will pass 'Thijs', a cozy canal café where people of all kinds come to enjoy a 'beer'. Very nice place to take a break along the water. If you have the chance, do not forget to listen to the Kempen boasting at the bar, which may have been the site of several tall tales.
The last part of the route then covers only 11 kilometers. You will briefly cross the Nete (rp66) and pass Keese's Molen (rp69) before returning to the market of Kasterlee.

There you may be able to choose from the many occasions to say goodbye to each other. A small inside tip, however…. If you have not eaten yet and your stomach is growling, we strongly recommend 'In den Kleyne Doorenboom' (marked on the map). It is not on the route itself, but it is easy to find. The spaghetti and lasagne are so delicious that 'In de Kleyne Doorenboom' is particularly known for this. All other dishes seem to be tasty too, but for some reason we haven't got around to this yet. We just can't bring ourselves to order anything other than that delicious spaghetti, despite all our good intentions. The 'locals' will drive around for this, just so you know….

Enjoying the Kempen and its waterways is possible with this route at a five-star level. The excellent road surface, the pleasant break points and the beautiful Kempen region and surroundings are more than worth it, even if the land remains flat and there are no badges to be seen. You will become acquainted with the Kempen hospitality at a very pleasant level via roads that are more than inviting and pleasantly surprise you several times.