Holsbeek walks

Hiking between legends and secret valleys in the Hageland. Sint-Pieters-Rode is a peaceful village at the gateway to the Hageland with paths steeped in history. Why is hiking magical? Because it has a varied geography, unique geology, rich flora and fauna, and legends everywhere. It is an immersion in nature, history and imagination.

Roughly halfway between Leuven and Diest, south of Aarschot, Horst Castle stands proudly on the edge of its pond and wooded estate.This hike offers a long loop through woods and countryside around this vestige of the past.

The Heverleebos is mainly planted with majestic beech and pine trees and criss-crossed by magnificent avenues. A few winding paths break up the sometimes overly linear appearance of this forest area.

A very beautiful walk. Starting near the Nodebais pond. Passing by a few houses decorated by local artists (ceramics on the facades) then along paths through the countryside. There are few roads on this walk, mainly country lanes.

Between Walloon Brabant and the Meerdael Forest, this walk combines nature, history and legends. The Nethen, a discreet river, winds its way between meadows and woods before joining the Dyle. Its banks are home to trout, kingfishers and dragonflies.In the Meerdael Forest and at Les 12 Bonniers, oak and beech trees dominate a world of mosses, mushrooms and discreet animals. The Ferme de la Houlotte recalls the rural life of yesteryear, while the tawny owl watches over the grounds.The medieval mound of Nethen and the castle of Florival bear witness to the valley's feudal past. Further on, the Nethen sandpit and the Grande Marbaise reveal an ancient seascape, now a refuge for rare flora and sand lizards. At Florival and the Pécrot pond, reeds and orchids create a peaceful scene. Between rivers, forests and memories of times gone by, Nethen invites you to explore and contemplate.

An easy walk through woods and along the Meerdaal Forest and meadows with beautiful views of the Nethen valley.

The villages of Bossut and Gottechain were merged in 1811 to form the municipality of Bossut-Gottechain. The 1977 municipal reform incorporated both into the entity of Grez-Doiceau.With this little page of Belgian history turned, the walk starts from the square in Bossut and takes you on a route that is more rural in Wallonia and more wooded in Flanders (Meerdaalbos), another Belgian story as the route straddles the two neighbouring provinces of Brabant.

This walk is suitable for Nordic walking. Huldenberg is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, not far from the linguistic border. The region is known for its table grape cultivation and the De Doode Bemde nature reserve. Doode means 'dead' (soil unsuitable for agriculture) and Bemde means 'wet meadow'.

A short 8 km circular walk starting from the Grez-Doiceau Post Office. This walk takes you along the cycle path, footpaths, fields and woods. You will pass through a few streets in Grez-Doiceau, but the route is mostly sheltered from traffic, except for a straight stretch towards Biez. A simple yet varied route ideal for daily walks starting from Grez.

Easy walk through fields and Linseau woods.

This invitation to discover Walloon Brabant, on the border between Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant, alternates between countryside and forest, nature and urban areas, as well as a short section in the northern zone of Wavre, passing by the unmissable GSK, one of the largest employers in Wallonia.

This walk passes through Tervuren Park and then follows the Voer river with theGR® Dijeland to discover the hinterland through the fields.

Enjoy the fresh air in the rolling countryside south of Jodoigne.Fields and crops await you.Things to see along the route: a few chapels, Dongelberg Castle (a kind of local coliseum that has suffered the ravages of time), a cross commemorating a former French military cemetery, in the distance the twisted bell tower of the Chapel of Notre-Dame-du-Marché on the Grand-Place in Jodoigne, the pretty village of Jauchelette.

The Fort des Voiles, also known as Ferme Rose for obvious reasons, was successively used as a glass furnace, a flour mill and a fish farm (trout).The name Fort des Voiles is thought to come from a distortion of "for à voires", which in Walloon means "glass furnace".In the 17th century, the glass industry required a lot of wood, which would explain its geographical location.The fish farm was created a little further down, along the Ruisseau du Glabais stream, and operated from 1950 until around 2000, when the presence of beavers and a sewage treatment plant, located upstream of the stream and inadequately protected against flooding, forced the owners to cease operations for health reasons.The current buildings date from the 1920s.

Located south-east of Geel and south-west of Mol and Balen, the municipality of Meerhout remains relatively untouched by the growing encroachment of housing and industry of all kinds. So make the most of it while you can, and that is exactly what this circular route offers: the chance to explore the region’s forests, countryside and heathland, along with a few canals and rivers –pure bliss.

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.

10 km route. Due to roadworks on Rue de Limalsart, the route is diverted via Rue de l’Institut and Rue de La Hulpe. It passes by Lake Genval, Maubroux Church, the Carpu nature reserve, the village of Bourgeois and Rixensart Park.

Adeps route in the Rixensart woods and around Rixensart Castle. Due to roadworks on Rue Royale – take the route via Avenue Joséphine Charlotte – Avenue Albert Prince de Liège – Avenue Reine Elisabeth

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.

Hike through the woods and bucolic trails of Wavre, Limal, Bierges and Rixensart

An easy walk through the countryside of Lasne and Ottignies.

A circular route starting from Profondsart station, passing through the centre of Rixensart with its spacious residential areas and a stretch through the countryside of Profondsart.

A route starting from Fedasil Rixensart. It then passes by Lake Genval, Maubroux Church, the Carpu Nature Reserve, the Mahiermont district, Route de Renipont, Odrimont (Lasne), the village square (Ohain), Saint-Etienne Church, Route de la Marache, Dadelane, Rue du Moulin, Renipont beach, Rue du Baillois, Bourgeois, the tram quay and Rixensart Park. Fairly significant elevation gain