The best cycling routes in Mollendaalbos

F24 from Leuven to Tienen, cycle path (Kessel-Lo) and then cycle highway following the tracks until just before Boutersem, then along normal roads towards Tienen, I myself haven't been further than Boutersem

At a moderate speed you can fully enjoy the Brabantse Woud.

On this path, you can enjoy beautiful views of the Dijle landscape. Enjoy it to the fullest at a moderate speed.

This monumental pulpit was made for the abbey church (Norbertines) of Ninove and consists of a rock and two palm trees. At the bottom, the conversion of Norbert is depicted, and Peter in a cave. In 1807, it was transferred to St. Peter's Basilica in Leuven. Source and more: https://ornamentsnijder.blogspot.com/2024/05/preekstoel-in-de-collegiale-sint.html

Park Abbey is considered one of the best-preserved abbeys in Western Europe. Besides the abbey and its church, the complex also includes an estate and extensive grounds with meadows and ponds. Although the abbey largely dates from the 17th and 18th centuries, its history goes back to 1129, when the Duke of Brabant gifted his hunting grounds in Leuven to the Premonstratensians. The Premonstratensians, or Norbertines, were considered wealthy and powerful and were therefore called the "Park Princes." They led a privileged life and devoted themselves to art and literature. The abbey's library once housed a renowned collection of manuscripts and early printed books. The abbots adorned the interiors with works of art, including the stained-glass windows by Jean de Caumont in the cloister and the stucco ceilings by Jan Christiaen Hansche. Source: Flemishmastersinsitu.com

One of the avenues leading to the abbey, largely preserved over the last two centuries, runs along the Molenbeek stream, just like the Negenbunderspad further east. Poplars have been planted along some of the avenues. This path runs between one of the parking lots of the Kessel-Lo provincial domain and the abbey's Noorderpoort gate, along the stream. It's frequently used and offers beautiful views of the abbey, the Werbeheuvel hills to the northeast, and the meadows and surrounding built-up areas of Kessel-Lo and Linden.

Vlierbeek Abbey is located northeast of Leuven. To the south, it borders the Negenbunders and the Molenbeek valley, which, until the first half of the 20th century, connected to the then-existing part of the Lovenarenbroek. The avenues, the abbey site, and the surrounding fields have largely been preserved over the past two centuries. The priory was founded by the Benedictines of Affligem in 1127. The first monastic buildings were erected from 1158 onwards, and the first church was built in 1170. During the Wars of Religion, the abbey was destroyed. Reconstruction did not begin until 1642. A second building campaign began in 1776, during which only the church and the abbot's quarters were completed. The ruins of the original church tower still exist. The abbey was dissolved in 1796, but thanks to the Concordat, the first monks were able to return in 1801. In 1829, Vlierbeek became an independent parish. The abbey church is a defining feature: a remarkably homogeneous building in the Classical style, a series of geometric volumes devoid of any ornamentation. Adjacent to the church is the cemetery, which is still in use. In the garden adjacent to the church, we still find remains of the cloister, rebuilt in the 17th century. The old abbot's quarters date from the 16th century but have been renovated several times. In the vegetable garden, a 17th-century gazebo with a rococo stucco ceiling still stands, used as a chapel since 1963. Several outbuildings adjacent to the western enclosure wall were converted into private residences in the 19th century. The 18th-century carriage house was also converted into a residence. Farmhouse buildings from the 17th century stand against the northern fence, which originally housed a bakery and brewery. The 17th-century northern gate was originally equipped with a drawbridge, the ironwork of which has been preserved. The western gate with the gatehouse dates from the 16th century. Behind the farm, traces of the Baroque garden and its associated canal system can still be seen. The plot of the former 17th-century parterre garden is still recognizable. Also worth mentioning are the garden belonging to the rectory and the garden near the former coach house, as well as remnants of the 18th-century moated island garden in the northeast corner, remnants of hedges, the old cloister, and the vegetable garden. Inventory of Immovable Heritage: Vlierbeek Abbey Domain, https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/135101

This year, the globe celebrates its 35th anniversary. The spherical vessel was painted like a globe by architect Ortwin Deroo in 1993. It was renovated in 2017. The water tower itself was built in 1969 by the Ateliers de Construction de Jambes. The steel water tower with its spherical crown is 29 meters tall. The tower has a capacity of 500m³ of water and provides drinking water to approximately 5,000 households in Bierbeek, Lovenjoel, Kessel-Lo, Lubbeek, Blanden, and Haasrode, as well as the Pellenberg hospital. Inventory of Immovable Heritage: Bierbeek Water Tower, https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/307079