By Bike Towards the City of Limbourg

Nowadays, at Lake Gileppe, it is a great place to spend your holidays. By bike you can meet walkers, roller skaters, children on tricycles and lovers who come to relax and spend time on the lake shores. Cycle on the barrage de la Gileppe (dam), a famous work of engineering built by industrialists from Verviers in 1857. The wool industry required, in fact, around forty thousand m3 of pure water daily. Before descending the hairpin bends, you will encounter the imposing 13-metre high lion that watches over the wall, looking towards the East, as if defying the enemy at the time – Germany. At the foot of the dam, the route winds through the meadows and hedges of the Goé region. In the distance, the curious bell tower of the village stands out. Twisted, and mocking the perfection of the straight line, it is not a construction error but the result of an intricate piece of work from the carpenters. A style that is adapted to the climatic conditions and sometimes violent winds which prevail at the foot of the Fagnes (Fens) region. Go over the hill and Limbourg emerges, perched on a rocky promontory. You then reach the centre via the large square, Place Saint-Georges, cobbled with sandstone and pebbles from the river. When you descend towards the valley, almost immediately you come across a steep hill, criss-crossing the Baelen pastures. A landscape which is in sharp contrast to that which you’re going to find after Membach, at the foot of Hertognewald – the largest state forest in Belgium. A wild universe to travel through until you reach the lake shores which blend into the landscape, by forming multiple creeks amongst the jagged hills. There is a succession of hairpin bends. It is such an enjoyable route that the miles pass quickly, the return journey for this challenging bike ride is also very pleasant.

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