Platwijers-Wijvenheide – orange hiking route

In Platwijers you will experience everything the landscape of De Wijers has to offer. Along the 5.2 km hiking route, you make your way through a mosaic made up of dozens of ponds. 

Visit the fish farming exhibition at Heidestrand and you’ll find out how the ponds were created. Along the way, you will also hear stories and facts about Zonhoven's centuries-old fish-farming tradition. 

Thanks to the wetland landscape, a lot of – rare – creatures feel at home here, such as herons, tree frogs and, the area's mascot, bitterns. Climb the observation tower for far-reaching views of the patchwork of ponds and scan the water with your binoculars from the birdwatching huts. 

The area is managed by the Agency for Nature and Forests and Natuurpunt.