The EuroVelo 5 route takes you to explore the wealth of the natural, architectural, cultural and brewing heritage of Belgium.
Having left Lille, known as the ‘capital of Flanders’ in France, you follow the rural greenway along  the Roubaix canal to enter Belgium. Passing by small locks and drawbridges, accompanied by the lapping water, you will wind your way, sometimes in Wallonia, sometimes in Flanders, along the Espierres canal and then the Scheldt river.
 

All along the northern section, the W9 route follows a cross-border greenway of 125 km known as the ‘Vennbahn’ or Fen railway line, one of Europe’s longest and most beautiful greenways, which crosses three countries. It is part of the RAVeL network and has been laid out along the path of old railway lines, No 48 from Raeren to Saint-Vith/Sankt-Vith and No 47 from Saint-Vith to Lengeler and the Luxembourg border.

The route is set out entirely along the old No 163 railway line, where folklore and delicious local produce with the smells of salted goods nestle in the heart of the region's valleys. You go deeper into this green lung, the Belgian Ardennes, in peace and quiet and in total safety. First of all, you cross through thick forests of deciduous and evergreen trees. 

This superb trip starting in Bastogne and alternating between woods and meadows, rural areas and deep valleys invites you to make your way along the Wiltz, a water course with a variety of faces, now wild torrent, now quieter river with a multitude of small bridges and wooden walkways. 

As soon as you leave Houffalize, you enter not only the historical centre of the Battle of the Bulge but also a region dedicated to cycling. This region brimming with history, acknowledged as the capital of mountain biking, will astound you with its deep valleys and mountain atmosphere. You penetrate deep into the green lung of the Belgian Ardennes in total safety on the RAVeL.
You cross dense forest of deciduous and evergreen trees as well as high farming plateaux on your way to Bourcy, a quiet village lying at an altitude of 500 metres.