Rekelberg

Rekelberg is a modest hill in the Flemish Ardennes (Vlaamse Ardennen), in East Flanders, straddling the boundary between Michelbeke (part of the municipality of Brakel) and Sint-Blasius-Boekel. The nearest village associated with its best-known approach is Rozebeke, part of the municipality of Zwalm. Like most hills in this rolling Belgian countryside, Rekelberg is not tall in absolute terms, but it has earned a solid reputation through road cycling.

Why is Rekelberg well known?

The hill has featured several times in the route of the Tour of Flanders (Ronde van Vlaanderen), one of cycling's most prestigious one-day classics. Race organizers included the Rekelberg climb four times: in 2004, and again in 2011, 2012, and 2013. Since then it has become something of a checkpoint for amateur cyclists and cyclotourists mapping out routes through the region, alongside the more famous Flemish climbs.

What does the climb look like?

Rekelberg can be approached from ten different directions, making it a flexible building block for self-designed cycling routes. Two of the most frequently documented variants are:

• The climb from Rozebeke — about 1.9 km long, with 69 m of elevation gain and an average gradient of 3.6%. The top sits at 95 m above sea level. This is the gentler, longer option, well suited for warming up or riding in a group.
• A shorter, steeper variant — 0.9 km long, with 50 m of elevation gain and an average gradient of 5.7%, cresting at 96 m above sea level. Despite the shorter distance, this stretch is noticeably more demanding per meter covered.

The road surface is a narrow strip of asphalt, typical of the rural lanes of the Flemish Ardennes — no shoulder, running through open fields with scattered farmhouses along the way.

What should visitors know before going?

Rekelberg has no tourist infrastructure in the form of viewpoints or marked parking areas — it exists primarily as a destination for road cyclists planning routes through East Flanders. Locally, in Brakel, there is even a holiday cottage named after the hill, which says something about how closely the name Rekelberg is tied to the area's identity.

Cyclists planning a day out often combine Rekelberg with other climbs of the Flemish Ardennes into a single loop. The region is known for its dense network of similarly short but demanding hills, many of which regularly appear in professional road racing.

Frequently asked questions

Is Rekelberg difficult for beginner cyclists? The approach from Rozebeke, with an average gradient of 3.6%, is relatively gentle and manageable even for less experienced riders. The shorter variant, at 5.7%, is noticeably tougher.

How many times has Rekelberg featured in the Tour of Flanders? Four times: in 2004, and in the 2011, 2012, and 2013 editions.

Where exactly is Rekelberg located? On the border between Michelbeke (municipality of Brakel) and Sint-Blasius-Boekel, in East Flanders, within the Flemish Ardennes, close to Rozebeke (municipality of Zwalm).