One of the most beautiful cycle trips in Belgium, the ride from Bruges to Damme follows the wide Damse Vaart canal.
The straight canal was built by Napoleon in the early 19th century. The hard work done by captured Spanish soldiers. The 13km route takes you along a quiet canalside road shaded by tall Canadian poplars.
Damme was once an important seaport, but it is now a quiet spot with some second-hand bookstores. But most people come here to eat lunch in a typical Flemish restaurant.
You might try the relaxed family-run restaurant Gasthof Siphon next to the canal. Locals have been coming to this pretty whitewashed farmhouse for years to eat regional specialities, including meat grilled over an open fire, Zeebrugge shrimps and fresh eel. You can also drink a Siphon craft beer made in a microbrewery recently installed in an old barn.
Follow the fietsnet cycle numbers 23, 60, 10 and 6 to reach Damme.
Derek Blyth’s hidden secret of the day: Derek Blyth is the author of the bestselling “The 500 Hidden Secrets of Belgium”. He picks out one of his favourite hidden secrets for The Brussels Times every day.
