Fietsen door het Water is exactly what it sounds like: a cycling path that passes through a lake, sunk just below the water surface so that riders travel at water level with the lake on both sides. The result is a visual effect that's genuinely disconcerting — water rises to eye height on each side, ducks swim past at the same level, and the flat Kempen landscape recedes as you enter what feels like a shallow aquarium.
The path is part of the cycling network around the Bokrijk domain and the Kattevennen forest. It's a short stretch rather than a major route — the point is the experience, not the distance. Go in the morning when the light is good and the path is less crowded, and combine it with a visit to Bokrijk next door.
Bring a bicycle (rental is available in Genk) or arrive by cycling from Hasselt along the well-marked cycling routes through the Kempen landscape. The path is free to use and open year-round.