Belgium greenways: the map of car-free cycling routes

RAVeL in Wallonia, fietssnelwegen and node networks in Flanders, EuroVelo routes crossing the whole country: Belgium has one of the densest greenway networks in Europe. The hard part is seeing them all in one place. Here is how to display the map of car-free routes in the VéloCore planner, then plan and export your ride, for free.

Greenways in Belgium: from RAVeL to node networks, who does what

In Belgium, the word “greenway” covers several networks, run by different bodies and each signposted in its own way. Knowing them helps you read the map, and understand why the same path sometimes has three names.

• RAVeL (Wallonia): the Réseau Autonome des Voies Lentes gathers close to 1,500 km of former railway lines and towpaths reserved for non-motorised users. Mostly asphalt, very gentle gradients: perfect ground for families, e-bikes and long easy rides.
• Fietssnelwegen and jaagpaden (Flanders): the “cycle highways”, such as the F1 Antwerp-Brussels or the F3 Leuven-Brussels, link cities with fast, continuous routes, often alongside railway lines. The jaagpaden, the canal towpaths, complete the mesh.
• Node networks: born in Belgian Limburg, they number every junction: you write down a sequence of numbers and follow the signs. Flanders is fully covered, and most Walloon provinces now have their own.
• EuroVelo and long-distance routes: EuroVelo 3 (the Pilgrims Route), EuroVelo 5, EuroVelo 12 (the coast) and EuroVelo 19 (the Meuse Cycle Route) cross the country, largely on these very greenways.

These networks cross each other all the time: a RAVeL can carry a node number and be part of a EuroVelo route. Hence the value of a single map that shows them together, rather than four websites and three apps.

Show the map of Belgium's greenways in the planner

Open the VéloCore planner in your browser and unfold the “Official routes” panel. Four layers, taken from OpenStreetMap, overlay the map: Cycle routes (EuroVelo and national) in blue, RAVeL / greenways in green, Node network in orange and GR trails in red dashes, the latter with a warning: only the rideable sections are suitable for bikes.

Zoom in on your area so the routes appear, then click one of them: the planner follows it and turns it into an itinerary, with distance, time and elevation profile. To also see cycle paths and relief, switch the base map to “Bike” (CyclOSM), next to the Map and Satellite layers. All of this without an account and with nothing to install.

A car-free cycling route in Belgium: the method in four steps

1. Pick the profile. The Safe profile favours cycle paths, greenways and quiet streets, even if the ride gets slightly longer. The Cycle routes profile goes further: it magnetises your route onto the official networks you ticked, RAVeL first, without zigzagging between EuroVelo and node networks. It also exists in the iPhone and Android apps.

2. Lay the route. Place a start and a finish, drag the line to adjust, or let the loop generator work: pick a distance from 5 to 180 km and the “Greenways / RAVeL” surface, and it suggests circuits that stay on slow lanes. You can also draw your ride with one mouse stroke: VéloCore snaps it to the nearest greenways.

3. Spot the breaks. Tick the Drinking water, Café / food, Toilets, Bike repair or E-bike charging points of interest. Greenways sometimes cross long stretches without a single shop: better to spot the fountain before leaving. The elevation profile confirms the ride stays flat.

4. Take the route with you. Save it to your account to find it in the app's cockpit, with turn-by-turn navigation, or export the GPX for your bike computer. With Premium, download the map of the area to ride without network. Details are on the features page.

Five Belgian greenways to put on your map

• The Meuse from Namur to Dinant: RAVeL and EuroVelo 19, flat, between cliffs and villages: the family ride par excellence, with Dinant and its citadel as the grand finale.
• The Vennbahn: 125 km of former railway between Aachen and Troisvierges, across the East Cantons. The gradients never exceed what a train could climb, even over the High Fens.
• Line 38 in the Herve region: orchards, viaducts and villages between Chênée and Plombières; stunning in spring, when the apple trees are in blossom.
• The Canal du Centre: a flat towpath between the UNESCO-listed hydraulic lifts and the giant Strépy-Thieu lift: a heritage ride without a single hill.
• The coast, from De Panne to Knokke: EuroVelo 12 follows the 65 km of Belgian coastline along the promenade and the polders. The wind takes care of the climbing.

The pitfalls of greenways, and how to avoid them

A greenway is not a motorway. The surface changes: asphalt, then dolomite or fine gravel on some sections, so think of tyres of at least 28 to 32 mm once you leave the main Meuse axis. Chicanes and car barriers force you to slow down, especially with a trailer or wide panniers. On Sundays, walkers, skaters and families share the path: adjust your pace and warn before overtaking. Finally, a few stretches use small roads open to traffic to link two sections: the map shows them, the cockpit announces them.

Frequently asked questions about greenways in Belgium

What is the difference between RAVeL and a greenway?

RAVeL is the Walloon network of slow lanes: former railway lines and towpaths reserved for non-motorised users. “Greenway” is the generic term, also used in France, which covers RAVeL, the Flemish jaagpaden along the canals and any purpose-built path without car traffic. In the VéloCore planner, the “RAVeL / greenways” layer shows both.

How do I find the map of greenways in Belgium?

Open the VéloCore planner, unfold “Official routes” and tick RAVeL / greenways, Node network and Cycle routes. The routes appear when you zoom in on your area, from OpenStreetMap data. One click on a route turns it into an itinerary, ready to export as GPX. It is free and needs no installation.

Can I ride Belgian greenways on a road bike?

Yes, most of the RAVeL and the fietssnelwegen are asphalt. Some sections remain dolomite or fine gravel, rideable with 28 to 32 mm tyres if you keep a little margin. The planner's “Bike” base map and the elevation profile help you spot unpaved stretches and the rare climbs before you set off.

Read also: Cycling routes in Belgium: 5 must-ride loops · Family bike rides: safe routes away from busy roads