Cycling through the Trees | Hechtel-Eksel, Belgium | BuroLandschap

Winner of Merit Award for the 2020 WLA Awards in the Built – Small category

Cycling through the Trees
Cycling through the Trees

This bicycle bridge is a project carried out in collaboration with Visit Limburg. It’s a unique cycling experience at junction 272 of the Limburg cycle route network.

Cycling through the Trees

360 ° experience

This cycle bridge which has a length of nearly 700 metres, takes you into higher realms. You can cycle or walk through different decors every season, discover the sounds and scents of the Pijnven whilst climbing to a height of 10 metres above ground. The path is created by a double circle with a diameter of 100 meters, which rises gradually (3-4%). This exceptional landmark offers a sensational yet safe cycling experience.

Cycling through the Trees
Cycling through the Trees
Cycling through the Trees
Cycling through the Trees

The large, clean-lined circle was a conscious design choice. It is a symbolic reference to the tree rings in tree trunks. The path was constructed on corten steel pillars, placed in a pattern reminiscent of the pine trees in the Pijnven forest. The pillars symbolize the straight trunks of the pine trees and is a nod to the region’s mining history.

Cycling through the Trees
Cycling through the Trees
Cycling through the Trees

The cycle bridge is an addition to the landscape that respects both nature and the region’s history.

Cycling through the Trees

Cycling through the Trees

Location: Hechtel-Eksel, Belgium

Landscape Architect: BuroLandschap
Collaborator: Atelier Ensemble and De Gregorio & Partners

Photography: Visit Limburg

About Damian Holmes 3401 Articles
Damian Holmes is the Founder and Editor of World Landscape Architecture (WLA). He is a registered landscape architect (AILA) working in international design practice in Australia. Damian founded WLA in 2007 to provide a website for landscape architects written by landscape architects. Connect on Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/damianholmes/