Through a large pond in the De Wijers nature reserve in Limburg, Belgium, runs a cycling lane that goes right through the waters instead of going over it. The 212-meter concrete path was built below the water level and dips low enough to put riders at eye level with the water. Two five-feet high embankments on either side of the bike path keeps the water of the pond away, while underground tunnels under the bike path ensures that amphibians and other aquatic life in the pond could freely move between the two sections.
Since its opening in 2016, “Cycling Through Water” has proved to be a hit with tourists and locals. Hundreds of thousands of them have cycled through the sunken path.
The aim of the project was to boost bicycle tourism in Limburg, which is already a cycling paradise in the Flanders region of Belgium. About twenty five years ago, Limburg built a network of cycling junctions to connect different cycling routes with each other. Cycling Through Water is one such junction that connects two bicycle route networks. Until recently, the De Wijers nature reserve, which contains about 700 hectare of ponds and culture-historical domains, could not be entirely explored by bike. By creating high quality bicycle opportunities, such as Cycling Through Water, the developers wants to put a spotlight on Limburg as a cycling paradise and attract even more bicycle tourists from abroad.
Similar attractions elsewhere: The Sunken Bridge of Fort de Roovere and Sunken Observation Platform in Vöcklabruck, Austria
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