Dorka is a Hungarian expat living in Brussels for 10 years. During the last few months she completed the 24 walks described in the free publication ‘Walking in Flemish Brabant - 24 Inspiring Walks in Flemish Brabant’. Today she is a true expat-ambassador for Tourism Flemish Brabant and an inspiration for many internationals in Belgium through her Instagram page: be.beyond.the.eububble
24 Walks- 24 New Discoveries
Two years ago I ordered the free publication ‘Walking in Flemish Brabant - 24 Inspiring Walks in Flemish Brabant’. Back then life was very busy, it ended up on the bottom of a pile of books and life went on. Then COVID started and I - besides starting to clean up those piles and finding such forgotten treasures - was looking for new destinations in the closer environment. The challenge was set: to complete all 24 walks.
The 24 walks proposed by the Flemish-Brabant Region cover the whole region and give an insight to its different parts, lesser-known sights and local characteristics. Between 7-12km long, all of them come with a short description, a well-defined starting point and a map that can be very handy at times. Many of these walks are within close reaching distance from Brussels (30-40min by car), thus can easily be turned into a 2-3 hours after-work trip even on weekdays.
All walks proposed in the brochure are signposted. Besides the concrete local routes marked by a separate sign, the region is densely woven by the walking node-to-node network. In that case you receive a sequence of numbers: the number of those nodes you need to find and follow. If you haven’t had the courage yet, give it a chance to try it out now. It opens up endless walking options. Additionally, download the free application ‘Wandelkooppunt’ and start planning your very own trails!
After completing all 24 walks, I realised how hard it is to make one toplist. There are so many different options with their own beauties and sights. So, I’d say these are the 5 walks I would be happy to complete again in any time of the year.
1. Herisem Walk (6,6 km)
A short, but amazingly varied walk. You can add a visit to the Herisem Paper Mill museum. Check out opening hours ahead your trip!
2. Antitank Trench Walk (11,7 km)
Combines beautiful natural sights with historical sights: marshes, woods, corduroy roads, antitank trenches - all in one walk. For families with children the Heerlyckheid van Roost castle playground is just great.
3. Margijs Walk (8,3 km)
A combination of water and forest walk. There is a cherry tree alley (between walking node 213 and 214) - check blooming time on Instagram by typing Neerijse as location. Just amazing in spring!
4. Norbertine Walk (9,1 km)
Walk through the spectacular Averbode Heide and Bos to finish your walk at the Averbode Abbey. Don’t miss the museum shop Het Moment with great variety of local and bio products. For a longer version, combine it with the ‘Perfect Sunday trip’ proposed by the Flemish-Brabant Region.
5. Wijngaardberg Walk (7,3 km)
Did you know that there are historical vineyards in Hageland? Walks through the vineyards and orchards protected by an ancient wall that creates a unique micro-climate. Find out more about the history and wine production in the region in Hageland Wine Visitor’s Center at the starting point of the walk.
