Solo Cycling Europe | EP3 Discovering Medieval Belgium

Episode 3 of my 2,200km solo bicycle tour across Europe takes me through the Flemish Region of Belgium – a country of Gothic architecture, medieval cities, and unexpected challenges.

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🚲 Belgian Rail Trail Resource: https://fietssnelwegen.be/

📍 ROUTE: London → Netherlands → Belgium → France → Germany → Switzerland → Italy

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Hey everyone, welcome back to Solo Cycling Europe. This is going to be episode 3 where I’m continuing my 2200 km journey of Europe through Belgium. Now, between some new challenges to overcome and encountering some rather gothic and medieval architecture, Belgium became a trial of both curiosity and perseverance. And wait till you find out what’s been going on in one of their major cities. Okay, let’s dig in. Just look behind me. This is really, really high class, right? They’ve got um beautiful lighting, some architecture, um whole party going on somewhere in the bar over there. So, let’s uh go through. And man, I’m just blown away. Okay, this place is on it. So, I made it across the border into Belgium, starting in Antworp after the Netherlands bike paradise. I wasn’t sure what to expect here. Hey, fam. I made it to Antwerp, so I’m about to have a delicious meal to finish off a great riding day. And uh listen to that. Just uh I’ll be quiet for a second. They listen to our music. But anyway, I’m about to enjoy some um so fr and that’s going to be a beef stew. So, it’s really delicious. I went with the green beans just like mom used to make. And I’m also going to have uh some fritz, so fries. And apparently that’s going to be really good to dip in a mayonnaise and as well dip it into my stew. So can’t wait to have it. I’m going to wait for the mayonnaise and the fries. And then I got a helping hand with an issue my bike was having. It sustained some damage in Amsterdam and he helped sort me out. Really well fixing it. And he’s a humble guy. He said, “Oh, I did terribly. This is not my best work. I don’t have the tools for it.” But I’m riding it right now and it feels like new. The shifting feels good. I’m not getting any chain skip so far. I mean, I’ve just started riding it, but I’m feeling uh there’s a lot more I don’t know uh positive feedback when I pedal. like I’m not feeling like it’s strange or inefficient. It feels more efficient. So, um I I’m really thankful that people here just willing to help like that, just help me out. And honestly, uh, my bike feels good as new, which is just in time for this 38 mile ride into Gent. So, let’s get into it. Let’s get into it. All right, off we go. Let’s go. So, I found what might be the longest staircase in Belgium. And of course, I’ve got a fully loaded touring bike. This is gonna be fun. I have this. Don’t worry. No, no. Just takes practice in this. My workout. hers too. Is this the top? Yes. Hooray. Thank you. Thank you. Yes. Let’s keep it moving then. So, I just uh did a 30 mi 30 mile dash Belgium. They don’t know what bike lanes really are. They ain’t never been to the Netherlands cuz that was a semi-toten big old tractor trailer riding highway. This one’s a bit better. So I made it to Gint and really just looks like a ordinary city. Yeah. And all I want to do right now is just fall out and sleep. Um, I really underestimated a 42 mile uh bike. I don’t know how many kilometers that would be, but um 42 mile bike. My legs were noodles. I could not walk upstairs. And uh I don’t think the Dutch Burger King that I ate is uh really cutting it nutrition-wise. So, I’m probably just going to go grab a bite to eat regardless of how tired I am. I know that I need to eat to recover. And uh yeah, that’s it. Or I’ll ask if they have a kitchen. I do have uh I bought a baguette from a bakery and I have some strawberries. So those things can probably help. Look at this old Victorian place and she says it was used as a bread bakery. So this place was looks more like a some I don’t know something some part of a church although she says these are just decoration the lady of the hostel it is I the count Tristco and I have welcomed you into my manner. Come, please find a place to sit. Now leaving the Trek hostel in Gent, Belgium. And um on upon leaving, I asked for a little info about the place because I just noticed that there’s some history to it for sure. It’s got some interesting architecture, Gothic aesthetic especially in some of the areas. And um what she says is that it was actually used as a brick factory. So like these buildings behind me and um of course like there’s living space, but it’s also a factory and they make bricks. But um the Gothic aesthetic just because uh um possibly because of decoration I guess. But also I noticed like some of the rooms just look like something out of a um Castlevania or Dracula kind of a a setting. So I would say that uh although it was a brick factory, maybe it was something else before then possibly. Uh who knows? But that’s the kind of vibe that I got was like, “Oh, I’m walking into a uh uh old Victorian or something like I I don’t know.” Anyway, uh Trek hostel. It’s kind of cool. So, here we are at the city center of Gent and just enjoying the architecture. It’s pretty beautiful. I just don’t want to get hit by a train. No wonder that hostel looked like Count Dracula’s layer there. And then I got to bruise and I wasn’t ready for this. You’ll see what I mean. Oh my god, that’s gorgeous. That water is so cool. So, I’m just riding to my hostel and then I had to stop because I’m just blown away by this city. Look, look around me. This place is gorgeous. So, Bruge is about it. They know what they’re doing here. They got the canals. Beautiful. I just rode by uh um just out in the grass happy hour that they were throwing. They had music bumping. They sitting in the chairs socializing. Ain’t nobody on their phones like me. Ain’t nobody um looking sad. I just got to this town. This is cool. This place is good, man. You know what? It’s just something about like the energy and the beauty of it. This place looks cool. Look at what I’m riding on right now. I have not seen a busy street with just a bunch of uh smog. The air is clean. Man, what is this? This is a city. This is what This is what a city should look like. Y’all got to get to know Bruge cuz Bruge, Belgium. Let me tell you about it. Bruge, Belgium. Check it out. Um, maybe I got to explore a little more before I start saying that. But from what I’ve seen so far, I’m blown away. That’s a That’s a bike lane right there. And then um there’s some teenagers just sitting in a at a table like All right, I’m gonna get off here cuz I’m really gassing them up and they’ve got money. I was just looking at these right kind of old timey looking, you know, like what I saw in London. these uh historic brick buildings. And then I read this poster, right? That one right there. And um I was just thinking, are they uh demolishing or are they building? And it turns out they’re spending near 14 million euros to uh restore these old buildings in this old city section. They’re just restoring the whole section. I can just imagine the guy that’s running Brouge who’s running the place cuz that guy is uh saint hero whoever he is. He built something awesome. This place is awesome. What’s crazy about Bruge is it was basically dying in the 1800s. Economy collapsed, people left, but they invested in preserving the history, and now it’s thriving. That’s what I discovered about this city. They chose to honor their past instead of tearing it down. It’s like the dragon’s tavern. lighting a candle in the dragon’s cavern. I just booked a hostel um off the fly. And um overall, I love the city. City’s really cool. It’s popping. I know that they’re run by people who care about the place, so that’s a plus. But check out I walked into this hostel and then let’s go over the price right after uh the tour. So, we are um walking down and I already put my bike away and everything, but I kind of just I was walking to find my room and I found the bathroom. Okay. All right. So, first of all is is that um I don’t want to go in the bathroom, but I’m just going to spill the beans here. I didn’t pay a dime. And they have multiple urinals. Okay, that might sound like a weird thing to trip about, but if you’ve ever been to Europe, the bathroom situation is really a big industry. I’m back home, right? I did not pay a dime and I get just a fullsize bathroom. Okay. Right. So, that’s amazing. Um, back there is karaoke night. So, they’re having a good time. It was uh a thing I asked the friend when I got here is that uh hey, do you just do like theme nights here? Is that what’s going on? Yeah, they have karaoke. Last night was Latin night, so they had people out here. um enjoying Latin music, dancing and everything. So, just good times all around. All right, let’s see if I can find the room. I’m not going to ask for directions. I’m just going to walk outside and just find it for myself. The courtyard, right, everybody is out here just enjoying. And then uh that’s not it. That’s promising. Let’s go and see. All right. So, I’m here in Bruge and um I’m doing a little touring now. Going to enjoy. It looks like some businesses are starting their day. It’s bright, beautiful as it is. Um, again, I’d love to know who’s uh who’s responsible for the upkeep of this town and the town planning cuz, you know, they’re doing a good job. I love to see it. Love to see towns setting themselves up for success. Man, I had such a great time exploring the city center of Bruge. What a beautiful place. So, here’s my impression of Belgium. The cycling infrastructure is mostly just a painted line on the road. Uh, reasonably sized, granted, but most people just choose to drive. There’s not enough activity to properly promote cycling infrastructure and confidence like they have in the Netherlands. I was going to give Belgium a two out of five, but then I remembered when I was exhausted sitting in a park. And again, this lady pointed out an error that I made with my route planning. Instead of following a highway, it’s actually more ideal to follow the rail trail system. And what that means is they remove the railroad track and replace it with a paved bike road. So, I’ll leave a link to that in the description on how to find good navigation in Belgium. And I’m giving that discovery. Belgium overall gets a three out of five bike friendlia score. So, if you like the video, don’t forget to like and subscribe. And I’ll leave you with a harp concert. This is Luke, a harpist I found in Bruge. You’ll have to visit Bruge to see it for yourself. Enjoy. For archaeologists, the treasure unearthed in is of inestimable scientific value. The music you’re about to hear is performed on a replica of a Mesopotamian harp discovered in the royal cemetery of during excavations in the 1920s and30s is one of the oldest stringed instruments ever found. This harp with its bull’s head gazing into eternity through lapis lazuli eyes was adorned with a mosaic of shells and precious stones. Now, here’s the extraordinary part. I had the chance to meet a modern craftsman who not only rebuilt this harp, but he actually performs with it. Now, what would it sound like? Well, this is the sound of the oldest harp ever found. That is what it sounds like.