# Help with Belgium Visit



## JetSpeed (Nov 18, 2002)

I'll be staying in Brussels for 2-3 days in the middle of June. I'm (like others) a big
Merckx fan and want to do a factory tour IF I can. 

Does anyone have any experience with setting a tour up etc.? Meeting the "man?"
WHERE else do I need to go/see cycling wise? 
Any other info. you can think of?

Thanks all!


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## kjmunc (Sep 19, 2005)

Unfortunately there is no factory tour. That's not to say you should've drive out to at least see the building, but if you're there during business hours you'll get to see the front room that has a variety of the new models but that's it. Eddy might be there, but he still does a good bit of traveling and could just as likely be away. It's a pretty low key experience.

Personally, I really enjoyed the Ronde van Vlaanderen museum in Oudenaarde. If you're looking to brush up on your Belgian cycling history this is the place to get it, plus you can go see the famed Koppenberg climb, which is only 5km out of town. From there you can easily loop back through Geraardsbergen to seen the Kapelmuur climb, and then it's just a short jog back through Ninove and back to Brussels. Easily all doable in one day if you start early enough and since the climbs are outside you're not bound by business hours.

Enjoy your trip no matter what you decide to see/do!


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## cannibal (Dec 3, 2004)

kjmunc said:


> Unfortunately there is no factory tour. That's not to say you should've drive out to at least see the building, but if you're there during business hours you'll get to see the front room that has a variety of the new models but that's it. Eddy might be there, but he still does a good bit of traveling and could just as likely be away. It's a pretty low key experience.
> 
> Personally, I really enjoyed the Ronde van Vlaanderen museum in Oudenaarde. If you're looking to brush up on your Belgian cycling history this is the place to get it, plus you can go see the famed Koppenberg climb, which is only 5km out of town. From there you can easily loop back through Geraardsbergen to seen the Kapelmuur climb, and then it's just a short jog back through Ninove and back to Brussels. Easily all doable in one day if you start early enough and since the climbs are outside you're not bound by business hours.
> 
> Enjoy your trip no matter what you decide to see/do!


Spot on regarding the first paragraph above, additionally, the factory is closed on the weekends. The showroom is open from 0800-1600 hrs., mon-fri. They are closed for lunch every day during business hours. So, if you go, try early am or after 1400 in the afternoon because I can't remember the specific lunch hours. There's an outside chance they may let you see the actual factory day to day business activities through a window if you ask politely, but a tour is highly improbable.

Regarding Kjmunc's second paragraph, it reads like an extremely fun, adventurous, classic and memorable way to spend a day in Belgium. I'm going to have to put that on my list of things to do next time I'm in Belgium.


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## JetSpeed (Nov 18, 2002)

Do you happen to know if the taxi drivers know where the Koppenbug climb would be?
I'd like to have someone take me to to a few historic places cycling related without wasting
any time in the process. 

I figured the Merckx factory would be hit/miss. But, that's O.K. if it has to be.

Thank you for the GOOD info. so far . . . . .


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## kjmunc (Sep 19, 2005)

*Rent a car*

Hiring a taxi will be cost prohibitive to visit any of these spots. You can rent a car for the day for <75euro and could hit all of these places quite easily. Sixt has always been a good rental company to me, but you'll find Avis, Budget and a host of others to suit your budget/needs.

Go here to see the Gmaps version of the Tour of Flanders from 2009. This is your easiest way to find the key landmarks along the route you might want to visit, especially since all the climbs are clearly marked once you zoom in on a particular section. The Koppenberg is very easy to find.....just look for Oudenaarde on the map, then go SW on the N8 motorway towards Melden and you'll find it listed just SE of the village of Melden. If you're down that way you might as well see the Paterberg and Oude Kwaremont as they are within 10min of each other. Absolutely do not miss the Centrum Ronde van Vlaanderen in Oudenaarde....it's the best museum you'll find on the race and cycling in Belgium.

Same goes for finding the Kapelmuur in Geraardsbergen: it's on the eastern side of town, but the run up through town is a great drive to really get a feel for how steep it is. You'll have to park near the top and walk the last few hundred meters, but there are multiple historic plaques and pictures along the way as well. 

As for the Merckx factory, it's a bit tougher to find but it's there. Check here for a link w/directions from Brussels and adjust accordingly based on your location in Brussels.

Hope that helps!


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## JetSpeed (Nov 18, 2002)

Anyone know exactly where the museum in located in Oudenaarde? I'm going to 
have to go by train from Brussels. It says a 15 min walk but, I'm thinking taxi. 

The museum is closed on Mondays and Merckx is not open on the weekends
so that kinda' breaks things-up for a rental car and doing both stops in one day.

Museum on Sun, Merckx on Mon. 

I'm on business, so it's not like I have lots of time, only two whole(ish) days.

Thanks!


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## orange_julius (Jan 24, 2003)

JetSpeed said:


> Anyone know exactly where the museum in located in Oudenaarde? I'm going to
> have to go by train from Brussels. It says a 15 min walk but, I'm thinking taxi.
> 
> The museum is closed on Mondays and Merckx is not open on the weekends
> ...


Here's a link to the museum's website:

http://rvv.be/en/museum

Link on google maps:
<iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Centrum+Ronde+van+Vlaanderen+Markt+43+B-9700+Oudenaarde,+belgium&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=47.215051,62.050781&ie=UTF8&ll=50.842785,3.604038&spn=0.006295,0.006295&t=h&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=Centrum+Ronde+van+Vlaanderen+Markt+43+B-9700+Oudenaarde,+belgium&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=47.215051,62.050781&ie=UTF8&ll=50.842785,3.604038&spn=0.006295,0.006295&t=h" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small>

You see it's in the edge of town, but Oudenaarde is not a big town at all. The train station I believe is due north from the museum, just under one kilometer. I drove there since I had a car, but looks easy enough for walking. It's also easy to find, I think across from a police station and with a big red Flandria car out front. 

It's really a great place to visit, lots of nice things to see and learn about. And the brasserie is actually quite nice.


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## shaochieh (Apr 19, 2002)

What date are you here in Belgium?


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## kjmunc (Sep 19, 2005)

orange_julius said:


> And the brasserie is actually quite nice.


Especially the brasserie! I can't recall the man's name who worked there when I visited, but he made my trip! I was the only person in the place and when I told him that I'd driven all the way from Koln on a Belgian Cycling Pilgrimage of sorts he got very excited, pulled out a great highlight reel that someone had put together of the top moments in Belgian cycling that year and put it on the TV. He then made sure I had some good food and a local beer as he sat down with me and narrated the tape since it was all in Flemish. I recognized footage from the bigger races but I also got to see local coverage of many of the smaller pro races that aren't covered in the US cycling press that well. He told me about all the cycling luminaries who had been in the museum that week, and had several great stories of his own about meeting the various pro's over the years. 

Enjoy your trip and leave yourself time to at least peruse all the memorabilia on the walls in the brasserie....they have some great stuff!


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## JetSpeed (Nov 18, 2002)

I'm back from my two full days in Belgium for (cough) business.

I truly want to thank those who contributed to this short but, VERY helpful thread. 

I did everything I wanted to do/see in the time I had. I rode the train from Belgium to the Centrum Ronde Museum, 
I hired a taxi to take me to the Koppenberg, had a beer and espreesso in the museum restaurant, and went to the 
factory by taxi as well. I also saw most of the tourist "traps" ate well and moreover, drank well! 

Everything went VERY smoothly w/a little more research on my part and very good info.
from all of you that had gone before me--sincere regards, thank you.


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