Hiking

Genk changed in the twentieth century from a quiet rural commune into one of the most important industrial poles in Flandres. Neel Doff, a writer was an important witness of the beginning of this evolution. We talk about Russian prisoners and English pilotes. How did people live in the fifties in a garden suburb. And how did the car industry shape the city in the sixties.

Because of its location, Zonhoven was an important place in the Middle Ages. Although hardly known, far-reaching events took place in this village in more recent times.

The Evermarus trail is a walk that has been in Visit Tongeren's walking offerings for quite some time. It is a favourite walk among long-distance walkers who enjoy a nice variety of heritage and nature. The walk is named after Saint Evermarus. Since the discovery of his mortal remains around 968 and his subsequent canonisation, Rutten has been under the spell of Saint Evermarus and he is celebrated annually on 1 May with a procession and martyrdom play during the Evermarus festivities.

The walk has two starting points: you can leave at Visit Tongeren at the Gasthuiskapel and at Ruttermarkt at Rutten's Sint-Martinuskerk. From Tongeren, you follow the route to Santiago de Compostela to the Evermarus Chapel in Rutten. In Rutten, you deviate from the pilgrim path and walk back to Tongeren. In total, the walk is 14 kilometres. For the more practiced hiker, there is the possibility to do an extra loop of ça. 6 kilometres, called the Hacco Route, to walk. This involves a small side trip to Herstappe, one of Belgium's smallest municipalities and home of the highwayman Hacco.

Practical
Starting point 1: Visit Tongeren, Via Julianus 2
Starting point 2: Ruttermarkt, Rutten
Distance: 14 km
Signposting: yellow triangle with blue shell

The 6 km Hacco route also starts at Ruttermarkt.
Signposting: green triangle

Seasoned hiker? Then you can combine both walks.
The walking brochure is available for free at Visit Tongeren.

This area on the border of the Hoge Kempen and Haspengouw includes a varied landscape that combines the best of both worlds. The hiking area is named after the nature reserve Munsterbos, but it also includes other natural areas such as De Hoefaert, Bonijtersbos, the Groenendaal domain forest or the mysterious castle ruins of Jonckholt. It is the southernmost part of the Hoge Kempen National Park.

The area is European protected as part of Natura 2000 area 'Overgang Kempen-Haspengouw'. During your tour through the centuries-old oak forest the Munsterbos you walk on the border between Kempen and Haspengouw. You will discover pieces of heath landscape that are found nowhere else in Haspengouw. Six streams cut through the 400-hectare nature reserve. The eye-catcher is the ancient pond area and the modern observation tower to observe the rare water and marsh birds.

The area has 69 km of hiking trails divided into nine routes. There is not yet an equipped entrance gate as our other areas have, but there are four "boarding points" where you can park for free, find a hiking information board, and start the hiking route.

Parking Munsterbilzen village (crossing Appelboomgaardstraat & Abdijstraat, near the Medical Center St-Jozef), 3740 Bilzen
Parking Munsterbilzen Taunusweg, Taunusweg 7, 3740 Bilzen
Parking Hoefaert (bus stop Berenbroek), Hoefaertweg z/n, 3740 Bilzen
Hoelbeek Church, Hoelbeekstraat 81, 3746 Hoelbeek

Download the free 'Minenwerferschule Asche' walk via the IZI.travel-app. This trek of around 6 km leads you round the German World War-I training grounds located on the Mechelse Heide.

In 1916, the heath between As and Maasmechelen was used as a training ground for the German army. Here, German soldiers learned to fire a mortar launcher, and built a network of trenches and bunkers. An interactive app narrates the story behind the training ground, and its impact on the everyday life of the local population.
Start at the carpark located at the entrance gate of the Mechelse Heide.

STEP 1: Download the APP
Download the IZI.travel-app via Google Play store.
Download the IZI.travel-app via Itunes.
STEP 2: Download the Tour

The Tour is called the "Minenwerferschule Asch". You can search for it in the IZI.travel app,
The route is not sign-posted, but mainly follows the yellow circular trail (5.5 km), starting from the carpark at the Entrance Gate of the Mechelse Heide

“The Big 5” are found in Africa. They are the five most powerful mammals in the world: the lion, the elephant, the buffalo, the rhinoceros and the leopard, and if you are very lucky, you can spot all five of them on a safari in an African nature park.

Africa is quite far away, so fortunately Belgium has several nature parks! You may not believe it, but you can spot many cool animals on a safari through our Hoge Kempen National Park - without even venturing too far into the park. A wide variety of wildlife lives concealed around the Zandloperpad (Sandpiper Path), provided you know where to look of course!

Biologist and film-maker Frank Resseler is the ideal guide on your safari through the National Park. He reveals the wonderful world of wildlife that lies hidden between the banks of the river Maas, in the dry sand, or amongst the heather. The most fascinating animals live there, right under your nose, and Frank will tell you all about them.

Follow the Zandloperpad in an anti-clockwise direction, and find the QR codes on the wooden poles. Scan all 4 of them using a smartphone or tablet, and find out everything about the Big 4 of our kids safari. Who knows, maybe a lion (cub) is peering out from under a tree?


National Park Kidsafari is an initiative of the Municipality of Maasmechelen, in collaboration with the Hoge Kempen National Park.

The paved track from the car park leads to the ‘Zandloperpad’ (Sandpiper Path). This 1.5K wheelchair track through the former sand quarry shows off the National Park’s different biotopes. A pocket-sized national park, if you will. A bird hide, a wooden deck and a few physical challenges make it even more fun.

The path is paved so wheelchair users and young families with prams can also enjoy the beautiful landscape.

Immerse yourself completely in nature on the two kilometres of the Beaver Path. Seasoned boys and girls go barefoot for the full experience., but it is of course no ploblem if you want to keep your shoes on. Along the way you learn more about the plants and animals of the forest, heath and hayfields. Also try to spot the different water creautures in the Warmbeek and pond. An unforgettable journey!