Kemmelberg
Category 41.4 km
Distance
95 m
Elevation Gain
7.1%
Average Gradient
17%
Max Gradient
The highest point in West Flanders at 156m and the dominant climb in Gent-Wevelgem and Driedaagse Brugge-De Panne. The Kemmelberg sits in the Heuvelland ('hill country') region of West Flanders near Ypres, and its forested slopes provide a completely different atmosphere from the open farmland bergs of the Ronde. The northern ascent is the most severe: 1.4km at 7.1% average with a brutal 17% ramp through the trees. The southern descent is technical — narrow, cambered, and famous for crashes in professional races. The surrounding Heuvelland plateau offers some of the finest cycling roads in Belgium, with long stretches of Flemish lanes passing through war cemeteries and hop fields that link the area's history to its landscape with unusual directness.
Pro Tip
The Kemmelberg is best climbed as part of a wider Heuvelland loop incorporating the Vidaigneberg, Baneberg, and Scherpenberg — a 100km route from Ypres that traces Gent-Wevelgem reconnaissance territory. The Hostellerie Kemmelberg at the summit has panoramic terrace views and serves Westvleteren on draught in summer.
Part of
Cycling in Flanders