Het Vinne

The Sint-Truiden region is renowned for its cherry (to a lesser extent), apple and pear orchards. The walk offers the chance to see them up close (very close). We particularly recommend it during the flowering season, usually in April. 

Pear, apple and cherry trees, a few vines and strawberry plants ensure the richness and reputation for fruit-growing of this part of the Limburg Hesbaye. Orchards galore to admire in spring during the blossom and later in the season for their fruit production.

Pear, apple and cherry trees, as well as vines, strawberry plants and currant bushes, ensure the wealth and reputation of this part of Limburg's Hesbaye region for its fruit production. There are orchards galore to admire in spring when they are in bloom and later in the season when they are producing fruit.

Welcome to the Demer valley, where water, reeds and meadows form a living landscape, shaped by time and floods. Around the village of Schulen, the Gulkerveld is reminiscent of the former floodplain, once feared, now a refuge for birds and botanists.With its 700 hectares, the Schulensbroek nature reserve is one of the largest wetlands in Flanders. Herons, greylag geese, lapwings and bitterns share the ponds and meadows.The Halbekerdijk, an old dyke, bears witness to the struggle against the waters, while the drier Vijversheide contrasts with its pine and birch trees. The Schulensmeer, created to regulate the floods of the Demer, has become a paradise for aquatic wildlife.Area: +700 ha, origin: floodplain, special features: artificial lake turned reserve, migratory birds, wetland flora.Here, the water tells the story of the landscape and the passage of time.

Schulen Lake and the adjacent marshes are part of the Wijers region , which is home to 1,001 ponds. It is a paradise not only for birds, but also for birdwatchers and walkers. Of course, bird populations vary depending on the season, but you will almost always see egrets, ducks, cormorants, coots, herons, geese and sometimes even the odd kingfisher. Goats and sheep are helping to rehabilitate some of the banks.

Between Hasselt and the Demer valley lies a world of water and mist, shaped by floods and time. Herkenrode Abbey, founded in the 12th century, marks the starting point: a Cistercian centre, it recalls the ancient link between spirituality and nature.In Stokrooie, the landscape becomes wetter before reaching the Albert Canal, dug in the 20th century, a marriage between industry and ecology.The Wijvenheide nature reserve reveals its peaceful ponds, where herons, kingfishers and ospreys thrive. The Kleine Vijver, Witven and Grote Platwijer are home to a rich variety of flora and fauna, between reed beds and floodplains.The Zonderikbeek and Vrankenschans meander through peat bogs and fields, witnesses to a time when the Demer shaped local life.The walk ends at the Bosvijver and the Vossen Kuil, where the silence of the water mingles with the breath of the wind.

Almost exclusively rural, this circular takes you through the hilly part of Hesbaye, straddling the provinces of Liège and Walloon Brabant. A few old mills dot the route: the one at Jauche-la-Marne, which the route bypasses, and those at Petit-Hallet, which can be seen from a little further away. In Orp-le-Petit, the Grande Ferme (18th century), the Pilori, the Château Rose and the rail adventure are likely to catch your interest. Along the way, it is not uncommon to flush out a hare (literally), spot a pheasant or scare off a heron or egret.

The Hesbaye region of Liège is not only characterised by its rich agricultural plain, but also by its charming sites, consisting of wetlands, copses and sunken paths. This route, which starts in the village of Petit-Hallet, offers views of the vast plain, but above all allows you to discover pleasant places in the heart or on the outskirts of the villages that stretch along the Henri-Fontaine stream. A few farmhouses and castles can also be seen along the way.