Krekelenberg

Krekelenberg is a modest but demanding rise on the outskirts of Halle, in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant, right on the edge of the Pajottenland region. To locals it's simply a residential street climbing a hillside; to road cyclists, it's one of the thousand toughest climbs in Belgium as catalogued by the Cotacol encyclopedia.

Where exactly is Krekelenberg located?

The rise sits in the rolling countryside south of Brussels, part of the belt of low hills separating the Zenne river valley from the farmland of Pajottenland. This landscape is typical of this corner of Flanders: gentle but relentless slopes weaving between fields, orchards and scattered farmhouses, terrain that has drawn both local recreational cyclists and professional peloton climbers for decades, thanks to the region's long association with Belgium's cobbled and hilly one-day classics.

What does the climb actually look like?

The most commonly ridden approach comes via Trompstraat, covering roughly 1.8 km with 85 metres of elevation gain and an average gradient of 4.6%. The summit sits at 121 metres above sea level. On paper, those numbers look unremarkable, but the climb's reputation comes from its character rather than its statistics: uneven road surface, irregular pitches of steeper gradient, and a layout that makes it hard to settle into a steady rhythm.

A separate, narrower approach exists via Dokter Spitaelslaan, which local cyclists generally regard as a steeper and more technical way up the same hill, though its precise length and gradient are less consistently documented than the main Trompstraat route.

One distinctive feature of Krekelenberg is that the street itself ends in a dead end — it doesn't connect directly to a major road. Cyclists can, however, continue along a narrow strip of asphalt that links up with the N28 national road, making it possible to fold the climb into a longer training loop without having to turn back.

Why is this climb known among cyclists?

Krekelenberg's inclusion in the Cotacol encyclopedia — an extensive, cycling-enthusiast-compiled register of Belgium's thousand hardest climbs — is what carried its name beyond the residents of Halle and turned it into a reference point for amateur riders seeking demanding routes in the Pajottenland and Zenne valley area. Though less famous with tourists than the Ardennes, this region has long served as informal training ground for riders preparing for the cobbled classics and hilly one-day races that define Belgian professional cycling.

What can you see along the way?

The climb offers views typical of Pajottenland: open, undulating fields, orchards, and small clusters of rural buildings, with the Zenne valley visible in the distance. It's an intimate rather than dramatic landscape, but that quietly agricultural scenery is part of the appeal of the cycling and walking routes that crisscross the area around Krekelenberg.

Frequently asked questions

Is Krekelenberg the name of a street or the official name of the climb? It functions as both — the street name and the informal name of the climb itself, a pattern common to many Belgian "hellingen" used in both amateur and professional cycling.

Can you ride straight through Krekelenberg? The street itself is a dead end, but a narrow paved strip continues through to the N28, so in practice the route doesn't require doubling back.

Who is this climb suited for? With an average gradient of 4.6% over less than 2 km, it's approachable for intermediate-level cyclists, though the uneven surface and uneven pitch make it feel tougher than the raw numbers suggest.