Herzele sits in the Dender region on the edge of the Flemish Ardennes, a hilly pocket of East Flanders that hosts most of the Tour of Flanders' defining climbs — the Koppenberg, Taaienberg, Oude Kwaremont, and Paterberg all lie within a short ride of the town.
Herzele itself has become one of the Tour of Flanders' official "Villages du Tour" in recent editions, with both the men's and women's races routed through the town on their way from Sint-Niklaas or Oudenaarde toward Zottegem, where the first cobbled sectors — Lippenhovestraat and Paddestraat — begin.
In the current route, riders pass through Hamme, Erpe-Mere, Haaltert, Herzele, and Zottegem in sequence before the women's race in particular tackles the Lange Munte cobbles on the approach to the Flemish Ardennes proper.
The town itself, dotted with castles including the well-known Woubrechtegem estate, works as a quieter alternative base to Oudenaarde or Geraardsbergen — close enough to the Ronde's roads to feel the race, without sitting directly on top of its more crowded climbs.
