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Transport in Belgium is facilitated with well-developed road, air, rail and water networks. The rail network has 2,950 km (1,830 mi) of electrified tracks. There are 118,414 km (73,579 mi) of roads, among which there are 1,747 km (1,086 mi) of motorways, 13,892 km (8,632 mi) of main roads and 102,775 km (63,861 mi) of other paved roads. There is also a well-developed urban rail network in Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent and Charleroi. The ports of Antwerp and Bruges-Zeebrugge are two of the biggest seaports in Europe. Brussels Airport is Belgium's biggest airport.
Flanders is the Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, language, politics, and history, and sometimes involving neighbouring countries. The demonym associated with Flanders is Fleming, while the corresponding adjective is Flemish, which is also the name of the local dialect. The official capital of Flanders is the City of Brussels, although the Brussels-Capital Region that includes it has an independent regional government. The powers of the government of Flanders consist, among others, of economic affairs in the Flemish Region and the community aspects of Flanders life in Brussels, such as Flemish culture and education.
Belgium is a federal state located in Western Europe, bordering the North Sea. Belgium shares borders with France (620 km), Germany (133 km), Luxembourg (130 km) and the Netherlands (478 km). Belgium is divided into three regions: Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels.
The Scheldt is a 435-kilometre-long (270 mi) river that flows through northern France, western Belgium, and the southwestern part of the Netherlands, with its mouth at the North Sea. Its name is derived from an adjective corresponding to Old English sceald ("shallow"), Modern English shoal, Low German schol, West Frisian skol, and obsolete Swedish skäll ("thin").
Terneuzen is a city and municipality in the southwestern Netherlands, in the province of Zeeland, in the middle of Zeelandic Flanders. With almost 55,000 inhabitants, it is the most populous municipality of Zeeland.
The Scheldt–Rhine Canal (Schelde-Rijnkanaal) in Belgium and the Netherlands connects Antwerp with the Volkerak, and thereby the Scheldt with the Rhine.
EuroVelo is a network of 17 long-distance cycling routes criss-crossing Europe, in various stages of completion. When completed, the EuroVelo network's total length will be almost 90,000 km (56,000 mi). As of November 2022 more than 56,000 km (35,000 mi) were in place. EuroVelo is a project of the European Cyclists' Federation (ECF).
The Amstel Gold Race is an annual one-day classic road cycling race held in the province of Limburg, Netherlands. It traditionally marks the turning point of the spring classics, with the climbers and stage racers replacing the cobbled classics riders as the favourites.
The Scheldeprijs is a cycling race in Flanders and the Netherlands which starts in Terneuzen, crosses the Scheldt River, and finishes in Schoten. Until 2018 it was held entirely in Belgium. The event, ranked as a 1.Pro race on the UCI ProSeries, features mostly sprinters on its roll of honour, as it is held on all-flat roads over roughly 200 kilometres.
Cycling is the second-most common mode of transport in the Netherlands, with 36% of Dutch people listing the bicycle as their most frequent way of getting around on a typical day, as opposed to the car (45%) and public transport (11%). Cycling has a modal share of 27% of all trips nationwide. In cities this is even higher, such as Amsterdam which has 38%, and Zwolle 46%. This high frequency of bicycle travel is enabled by excellent cycling infrastructure such as cycle paths, cycle tracks, protected intersections, ample bicycle parking and by making cycling routes shorter and more direct than car routes.
EuroVelo 12 (EV12), the North Sea Cycle Route, is a 5,942 km (3,692 mi) long-distance cycling route circuit around the coastlines of the countries that border the North Sea: these countries are England, Scotland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium.
Brussels has an extensive network of both private or public transportation means. Public transportation includes Brussels buses, trams, and metro, as well as a set of railway lines and railway stations served by public trains. Air transport is available via one of the city's two airports, and boat transport is available via the Port of Brussels. Bicycle-sharing and car-sharing public systems are also available. The city is relatively car-dependent by northern European standards and is considered to be the most congested city in the world according to the INRIX traffic survey.
Long-distance cycling routes are designated cycling routes in various countries around the world for bicycle tourism. These routes include anything from longer rail trails, to national cycling route networks like the Dutch LF-routes, the French Veloroute or the routes of the British National Cycle Network, to the multi-state routes of the United States Bicycle Route System, to the multi-country routes of the EuroVelo network in Europe, the longest of which is over 6,800 km (4,200 mi) in length.
A national cycling route network is a nationwide network of designated long-distance cycling routes found in various countries around the world for the purposes of bicycle tourism. They are often created and maintained by the government of the country, or at least with the backing or co-operation of the government of the country. Some of the routes in these national networks can be part of international long-distance cycling routes, such as the EuroVelo network of European cycling routes.
The Swiss National Bike Routes are the national cycling route network of Switzerland. There are currently 9 such long-distance cycling routes criss-crossing the Swiss nation and these were established mainly to promote bicycle tourism.
EuroVelo 15 (EV15), named the Rhine Cycle Route, is a EuroVelo long-distance cycling route running 1230km along the Rhine river valley from the headwaters of the Rhine in Andermatt in Switzerland to the river's mouth in Hook of Holland in the Netherlands. The route crosses Europe from south to north, from the Swiss Alps to the North Sea, passing through four countries: Switzerland, France, Germany and the Netherlands.
EuroVelo 2 (EV2), named The Capitals Route, is a 5,050 km (3,140 mi) long EuroVelo long-distance cycling route running from Galway, Ireland to Moscow, Russia. This east-west route passes successively through seven countries – Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Belarus and Russia – and visits all their capital cities.
EuroVelo 5 (EV5), named the Via Romea Francigena, is a 3,900 km (2,400 mi) long EuroVelo long-distance cycling route running from Canterbury to Rome and ending at the Italian port of Brindisi. The route crosses Europe passing successively through six countries: UK, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, France again, Switzerland and Italy.
A bicycle highway, also known as a cycling superhighway, fast cycle route or bike freeway, is an informal name for a bicycle path that is meant for long-distance traffic. There is no official definition of a bicycle highway. The characteristics of a cycle motorway mentioned by authorities and traffic experts include an absence of single-level intersections with motorized traffic, a better road surface and the absence of traffic lights. Bicycle highways are mentioned in connection with traffic jam. Owing to higher average speeds than normal cycling infrastructure, they provide an alternative to the car in commuter traffic. Often a cycle motorway follows the route of a railway or other linear infrastructure.
The numbered-node cycle network is a wayfinding system. It spans the Netherlands, Belgium, parts of France and Germany, and parts of Croatia, and is expanding rapidly, as of 2017. Each intersection or node is given a number, and the numbers are signposted, so the cyclist always knows which way to go to get to the next node.
References
- ↑ For the Netherlands: based on the map on "LF-routes". Nederland Fietsland. Retrieved 16 February 2017. For Belgium: "LF-routes". Vélo Ravel. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
- ↑ "LF 1 North Sea Route - Flanders Cycle Route". groteroutepaden.be. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
- ↑ "LF 2 Cities Route - Flanders". groteroutepaden.be. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 "GPS tracks". hollandcyclingroutes.com. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
- ↑ "LF 5 Flanders Cycle Route". groteroutepaden.be. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
- ↑ "LF 6 Flanders Cycle Route". groteroutepaden.be. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
- ↑ "LF 7 Flanders Cycle Route". groteroutepaden.be. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
- ↑ "LF 9 NAP-Route". groteroutepaden.be. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
- ↑ "LF 30 Scheldt-Deltaroute - Flanders". groteroutepaden.be. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
- ↑ "LF 35 Campina-Haspengouwroute". groteroutepaden.be. Retrieved 16 February 2017.. Distance Tilburg-Baarle: 18km following the old train tracks.
- ↑ "LF 38 Dender-Waaslandroute". groteroutepaden.be. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
- ↑ "LF 39 Flandriensroute". reisroutes.be. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
- ↑ "LF 50 Jeugdherbergenroute". Routeyou.com. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
- ↑ "LF 51 Kempenroute - Flanders". groteroutepaden.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 February 2017.
- ↑ "LF 52 Guldensporenroute". reisroutes.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 February 2017.
- ↑ "LF 53 Artevelderoute". reisroutes.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 February 2017.
- ↑ Following the Brussels-Charleroi Canal and the Brussels–Scheldt Maritime Canal
- ↑ "LF 57". Toerisme Vlaanderen. Retrieved 16 February 2017.