Oud-Rekem – red hiking route

Culture lovers will be in their element in one of the most authentic village centres in Limburg’s Maas Valley. There’s a good reason why Oud-Rekem was voted 'Most beautiful village in Flanders' in 2008. 

Nature lovers will also be thrilled because the hike leads you from the village in the direction of the wild river nature on the banks of the Maas. At 15 km, it’s quite a distance but there are plenty of spots to rest and picnic, making it the ideal day’s hike.  

Oud-Rekem transports you back to the Middle Ages. Authenticity reigns here with its three churches, a chapel, a castle and a museum pharmacy.  

The villages of Boorsem, Kotem and Uikhoven are also on the route. First you pass the hamlet of Herbricht, which sometimes has the audacity to transform into an island, or can be completely submerged when the Maas floods. 

Here, you are free to stroll along the river through the self-closing gates. American Mark Dion's artwork 'Tree of Life' is truly striking. He designed a tree of life containing 16 figures, all related to the ecology, mythology and history of this location. 

You enter the Oude Weerd nature reserve, which is a stone's throw from Oud-Rekem. Here, the landscape consists of wooded borders, hedges, groves and pools. The area lies in an old meandering section of the Maas, for numerous plants and animals it serves as an important stepping stone between the Maas Valley and the Hoge Kempen; for you it is the last straight line towards the finish.

Nature along the way is managed by Limburgs Landschap and Natuurpunt.