Paterberg Things to Do Tips by filipdebont

More graffiti

Of course there is not only the Tour de Flanders which is passing here. There also the many tours for amateur cyclists which are passing over here.

Most of these tours use collored arrows painted on the road. The changing of direction is marked with the direction of the arrow. Most of the time there are different distances, and these changes are also painted on the road.

As you can see on the picture if you are on the 110 km or on the 160 km tour you have to
Turn left, the other distance must turn to the right.

Tom

Did my good friend Tom (tompt) also participate in the Tour de Flanders?

Someone painted his name on the Paterberg . . . . no, no, no, it wasn't me

I don't know, anyway it look as he also has some fans (or maybe some silent admirer) over here.(lol)

Graffiti

So every year the famous Tour de Flanders passes here. And then it is kind of tradition that the supporters paint the names of their cyclist on the road with paint, in order to support him.

On this spot you see a lot of VDB paintings, that was to support Frank Vandebroucke, a young talent who is riding for the Quickstep-Davitamon team.

Oef

Oef, at last we have reached the top.

Bring your own drink as there is no cafe at the top.

Great view

Once you have reached the top, you will be rewarded with a splendid view over the Flemish Ardennes.

In the back you see the electricity plant of Ruien.

Cobbles

Before World War II, most roads in Flanders were cobbled roads. Later on they made them better and like that a lot of cobbled roads disappeared.

But to prevent that all these roads would disappear they started to protect them and gave the roads a statute of scenery monument.
Like this they managed to protect the inheritance of the landscape. There are already more then 34 kilometres of cobbled roads which are protected.

These cobbled roads also have an industrial-archaeological value, as these roads are witness of an important phase in the evolution of road building.

The small gutter

There is a way to avoid the cobbles: on the left side of the road there is a small gutter.

That way it is a little bit easier to climb this hill. But you can't use it all the way up as halfway, there is some green plants hanging over the gutter, also be careful, and as this gutter is rather small and at some places there are little stones (possibility of a flat tyre).

The beginning

It is always a bit surprising when you arrive at the foot of the Paterberg, as first you drive on a good road with your bike, and there it is suddenly, behind a curb, almost completely covered in the green.

Attention, switch gear before you make your turn, as once you stated climbing those terrible cobbles, it is not easy to switch, there is a great possibility that your chain will blocked and then there is only one way to reach the top : on foot (which is not easy on race shoes).