Merksplas Colony – Gravel Bike Path loop from Rijkevorsel

Merksplas Colony – Gravel Bike Path loop from Rijkevorsel

Hard

3.8

(4)

riders

Merksplas Colony – Gravel Bike Path loop from Rijkevorsel

03:16

56.3km

70m

Gravel riding

Hard gravel ride. Good fitness required. You may need to push your bike for some segments of this route. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: August 15, 2026

Tips

Cycling is not permitted along parts of this route

After 17.3 km for 372 m

After 50.9 km for 64 m

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

Get Directions

26.4 km

Gravel road in the Turnhouts Vennengebied Nature Reserve

Highlight (Segment) • Trail

Beautiful - real - gravel strip between Turnhout and Merksplas in the Turnhouts Vennen area. The Vennengebied is a nature reserve located about five kilometers north of the center of Turnhout.

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28.1 km

Marckstraat — gravel road with views of the Turnhout Marshes

Highlight • Cycleway

Fantastic (rust-colored) gravel strip with a view of the Turnhouts Vennen area. Photogenic desolate tree. It is part of the Strada Campina, the gravel ride that combines the best of the Kempen.

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36.5 km

Gravel Path with Wild Roses near Merksplas

Highlight • Trail

Short dirt road with wild roses along the way.

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45.7 km

Kapelstraat Avenue, Merksplas Colony

Highlight • Trail

Beautiful, straight avenue in the woods and along Merksplas Colony.

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45.9 km

Merksplas Colony

Highlight • Historical Site

Historical site. An area with straight lanes and monumental buildings. The colony was a place where vagrants lived until 1993. To get to know more visit kolonienvanweldadigheid.eu/en/colony/merksplas-colony

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46.1 km

Landlopers Chapel Merksplas-Kolonie

Highlight • Religious Site

The monumental space of the former prison chapel of Merksplas colony has been used as an event location for a number of years.
The Chapel of Merksplas Colony is a …

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47.6 km

Ossenweg Gravel Path

Highlight • Cycleway

Nice quiet crossing from Blakheide to Merksplas colony.

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47.6 km

Gravel Bike Path

Highlight • Cycleway

wonderful strips for the gravel bike, but beware of busy times with walkers

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Tip by

50.8 km

Blakheide

Forest

56.3 km

End point

Bus stop

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

31.5 km

13.6 km

6.42 km

3.59 km

1.17 km

< 100 m

Surfaces

16.4 km

15.3 km

13.5 km

7.46 km

3.17 km

472 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Weather

Wednesday 4 November

11°C

2°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 11.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

December 24, 2023,Gravel; Hoogstraten (route JJ Broekhuizen)

@JJ Broekhuizen borrowed your route, enjoyed it! A stretch along the Venmeir, huge mud due to rain and many touring cyclists when I went.

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February 17, 2024,Eerste gravelrit van het jaar.

Beautiful route, borrowed from @JJ Broekhuizen
Made up two small steps to get to 70 kilometers, but I should have left that alone, it still turned out to be a mud ballet :)

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