Koppenberg

These rolling hills are one of the reasons that the Flemish Ardennes has become an international cycling mecca with a large part of major bike races such as the Ronde van Vlaanderen, the Tour of Flanders running through these villages.

Those listening who are into cycling will know its toughest cobblestone climbs by name, Koppenberg, the Oude Quarremont, and of course the iconic Muur.

As a nod to the brewery's provenance, The beers the Vandermeers brews here are branded with illustrations of the indigenous animals of the rolling hills of the Flema Chardins, right? His Belgian Pale Ale, the Lelik en Das, is the naughty badger.

His Triple Saison, Triple Chase, it's kind of like boozy, dry, white wine-esque ale, which features an illustration of a giant hare being raced by a human jockey.

It's, uh, yeah, e- easily my favorite new route.

Yeah, and if you're a bigger fella like myself, I mean, you'd like, uh, Koppenberg in Belgium there.

You can go do that route and that steep climb, and i- it's kinda neat.

And, you know, the cobbles are coming through within that route as well, which is really cool, and the Flanders Fields feel.

So that's actually one of my, my favorite routes to ride.

Yes.

Yeah, the, the Koppenberg loop is, is a nice one definitely.

F- depending on your definition of light, of nice, of course.

An inscribed plaque on the stone facade of the so-called Pied Piper House, a half-timbered private residence dating to 1602, similar to an even earlier one etched on the building's window, bears explicit witness to the mystery.

The inscription reads, A.D. 1284, on the 26th of June, the day of St. John and St. Paul, 130 children born in Hamelin were led out of the town by a piper wearing multicolored clothes after passing the Calvary near the Koppenberg and disappeared forever.

I don't think I know that one, to be honest.

You've never heard of the Pied Piper? No.