Geer (rivière) - Belgique walks

A walk that takes you along the Geer and into the Haut Geer nature reserve. Walkers will enjoy the scents of the earth, the sound of flowing water, the colourful palette of freshly blooming flowers, the ballet of pollinating insects, the melodious song of birds and the rustling of leaves swaying in the gentle breeze as they pass through the nature reserve.

This hike, on the borders of Wallonia, Flanders and the Netherlands, crosses the Montagne Saint-Pierre on either side of the Albert Canal, ending at the Lanaye lock, which allows barges to reach the Meuse in the direction of Maastricht.Before that, the route follows small paths along the Geer. There are several beautiful views of the Meuse valley, the locks and the nearby hills.

This walk explores some of the region's gems. The route passes successively by a mill on the Geer (Jeker in Dutch) with a wooden paddle wheel that is still fully functional, Neercanne Castle, the Cannerbos, a magnificent tree-lined avenue in the Milleniumbos, a few vineyards, the old Nekum mill (no longer with a wheel), the Maastricht Fort plateau with some beautiful views of the city, Huis de Torentjes, a curious cave/chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes, the Zonneberg, the Slavantebos, the panoramic site of the former ENCI quarry, the Villa Castrum (admire the tuffeau stone used in its renovation) and, finally, the strange and extremely rare feature of the Geer, which passes under the Albert Canal via a siphon. All in all, this route offers a multitude of historical and educational points of interest for young and old alike.

In the mysterious area of the numerous springs of the Geer, encounter the ghosts of the Lord of Herzée in the Chevées, the nuns in the former Carmelite convent, the prior of the convent in his farmhouse, and let yourself be seduced by the quiet charm of the two Lens.