Green Route: Flora, fauna and industrial monuments in three countries

Up until a few decades ago mines were a dominant feature of the Belgian-Dutch-German borders. The Green Route links these industrial monuments as part of the region's new focus on nature.

Cyclists along this route can experience the landscape in an exhilarating new light. Stretching from Düren in Germany to Beringen in Belgium, this was once one of the biggest coalfields in Europe. Evidence of this mining heritage is still visible in many places. There are miners' estates, old palaces and museums along the route, and every now and then you come across a disused colliery that has been turned into beautiful parkland. The restored winding towers near Genk are a sight to behold, while the Japanese garden in Hasselt is an oasis of tranquillity. You can even take a tour of the former spoil heaps on the way to Beringen. Terrain: a predominantly flat route with lots of connecting routes to other tours. Some hilly sections with short steep gradients. Mainly on asphalt or crushed brick/stone and mostly traffic-free. Scenery: traversing three countries, the Green Route runs through meadows, fields and pastureland, past leafy and wooded recreation areas and waterways, former colliery sites and slagheaps.

• Length: 370 kilometres
• Starts: Düren
• Ends: Beringen (Belgium)
• Route info: mainly flat terrain, hilly in parts, steep gradients