In French Flanders, a few kilometres from the Belgian border, a handful of isolated hills rise out of the surrounding plain: the Monts de Flandre. Modest in height — none tops 180 m — but close enough together to offer rolling, engaging terrain popular with cyclists from northern France, in the spirit of the Flemish classics raced just across the border.
A loop that strings the hills together
From Cassel, a hilltop town with one of the best panoramas in the region on a clear day, the route links several of the area’s landmark climbs — Mont des Cats, Mont Noir, Mont Rouge — over around 45 km and 550 m of cumulative climbing. Each climb stays short, between 1 and 3 km, but stringing them together over the full loop demands genuine endurance.
Getting the ride right
A compact or triple crankset makes the short but occasionally steep climbs easier. A few cobbled stretches, a nod to the region’s cycling tradition, punctuate some of the hills — enough to vary the ride without turning it into a full classics sector.
When to go
April to October, avoiding winter months when wind — often strong in this exposed landscape — makes the ride noticeably harder going.
Good to know
Cassel, listed among France’s “most beautiful villages”, has a decent choice of accommodation for the region, with convenient access to nearby Belgium and the Flemish classics terrain for cycling enthusiasts.
