Railway 62, Belgium

One of the most beloved sports in Belgium next to soccer is cycling. Especially in the summer a lot of people like to cycle, with an ice cream stop in between somewhere. That is why there are a lot of roads through nature, only meant for walking and cycling. One of the most known routes is what we call "The green 62" or "Railway 62" (de groene 62 in Dutch).

The number 62

Originally there was a railway placed on this route. It was meant to locate easily between Paris and Ostend. A lot of seasonal workers also made use of this connection to go to the North of France. In the year 1867 the first steam train used the railway and it continued to be in use until the year 1963. After this a bus connected Torhout and Ostend and had the number (can you guess it?) 62. And so the name for the railway 62 was found. In some places you can still see some reminders of the past railway such as in Moere nearby Gistel.

Relax

The railway tracks were removed between 1982-1983 and the province of West Flanders turned it into a nature, walking and cycling domain. In total it is 22 km long, but you can start and end in every city along the route you like. You can go alone or with friends, it is an ideal place to enjoy nature in Belgium and to be away from traffic. The parts that do go through cities are made safe by giving you your own bike lane and walking lane.

The green 62, Belgium

Groene 62, Oostende, België