Smugglers' Route De Groote Heide

The Smugglers' Route is a 44-kilometre cross-border cycling experience through Hamont-Achel and Cranendonck, following the cycle junction network and starting at the De Groote Heide Inspiration Point on the Achelse Kluis, a tourist hotspot in the heart of the border region.

Inspired by the smuggling history of the 1930s, this route takes visitors on an exciting cat-and-mouse chase between smugglers and customs officers. Cyclists follow in the footsteps of customs officer Cor or smuggler Johannes de Vlugge and discover how butter, sugar, salt and other goods used to be secretly transported across the border at De Groote Heide.

Along the way, visitors can combine nature, heritage and local gastronomy thanks to participating businesses offering unique contraband products such as contraband cheese, contraband beer and contraband ice cream. QR codes bring historical stories, digital animations and information about local contraband products to life.

With support from Interreg and Natuurgrenspark De Groote Heide, the route will be further enriched by autumn 2026 with street art, wood carvings, Corten steel silhouettes, an interactive smuggling game and a treasure hunt. In this way, the Smugglers' Route is evolving into an innovative, top-class experience where border stories, landscape and local entrepreneurship come together.