Tag: Forest

Hiking the Iconic Koppenberg Route in Flanders

With two guys in the house that absolutely love cycling. We had to hike this route. It is a 15.3 kilometer hike, starting in Nukerke in the Flemish Ardennes. The hike takes you along some of the famous climbs of the tour of Flanders. This time not with a bike, but we hiked on foot. 66% of the hike is paved, as it takes you along the beautiful back roads of the Flemish Ardennes. But you also cross through some of the most beautiful forests in the Flemish Ardennes. Especially in the spring, when all the spring flowers are blooming and the trees are starting to turn green.

We parked our car next to the church in Nukerke. Which is free of charge. In front the church you will find the first node. Which will take you out of town. Up until the road N60. which you have to cross, both at the beginning and at the end of the hike. But after the crossing you will walk along the most beautiful back roads and through the winding forests. The first forest that you will walk along is the Spijker Forest. It is one of the few forest laying on a south slope. Which means you can enjoy the sunshine here the entire day. Which we did, as we chose a beautiful sunny spring day to hike this route.

When you leave the forest of Spijker. You will walk along the beautiful country side of the Flemish Ardennes. With a beautiful view over the rolling hills. You will also have some climbs on your way. After a while, you enter back into the Spijker forest. When we were there the Spijker forest was covered in forest anemones. Which was incredibly beautiful. We also spotted a few bluebells already blooming.

Unfortunately we had to leave the forest again, and we headed over to the famous Koppenberg, with its 22% incline. Lucky for us, you hike up the Koppenberg from the side. You hike down the path the tour of Flanders comes up the incline. Ofcourse you can’t visit this iconic place of the tour of Flanders, without spotting a lot of cyclist. I wouldn’t have liked to trade places with them cycling up. If you are a cycling enthusiast, this is a perfect way to explore this iconic incline. You can do so without the pain of cycling up.

After the Koppenberg it was time to head back into the forest, this time it was the Koppenburg forest. If you don’t feel like hiking an incline, you can skip the hike up in the forest. As when you hike along the road you will end up at the same point again. As the nodes will only take you up the stairs in the forest and back down. We did hike up and down though. After this it was back into the Koppenbergforest for the last stretch of the hike. The Koppenberg forest is a beautiful forest. In the forest you will find information boards about the role the forest played in World War I. In spring you will also find bluebells in this forest. We didn’t spot any blooming yet, but the first signs of their leaves are already popping up everywhere. This forest path takes you through the forest back up the N60. Where you will hike parallel to it for about one kilometer. You have to cross it one last time to finish in the village of Nukerke.

Let me know if you would go and hike this beautiful route.

Starting point: Nukerkeplein, Maarkedal
Length: 15.3 kilometers
Starting point: Nukerkeplein, Maarkedal
Elevation: 350 meters
Time: we hiked this in 4 hours, with a lunch break

Discover the Haller Forest: A Spring Hike in Belgium

The beautiful forest of Haller is located near Brussel, Belgium. It is famous for the beautiful blue bells in spring. But the Haller forest is beautiful in every season. In March we hiked the 7 kilometer yellow roe deer route. It takes you through 3 of the 4 valleys you will find in the Hallerforest. And about 50% of the hike takes you through the blue bell areas in the forest. During blue bell season there are special blue bell hikes set out.

We started our hike at parking 1. There are different parking areas in the Haller forest and they are all free of charge. Since we parked at parking one, we had to hike about 1 kilometer to the start of the trail. We wanted to hike further than 7 kilometers, so this wasn’t too bad. One of the things we love about hiking in the Haller forest is that it isn’t flat like the Netherlands. So you start off with a descent and ascent right away. The other thing I love about the Haller forest is the variety in trees. Even in March, the forest wasn’t completely bare. It was actually still quite green in some areas with needle leave trees. And a big plus is that the needle trees smell amazing.

Hallerbos

This hike completely takes you through the forest. If you want to hike even further, you can connect the yellow and the blue hike. This connection makes for an even longer hike. We decided while hiking up to the start of the route from the parking lot. We would only do the yellow route.

As I said the hike takes you through 3 of the 4 valleys of the Haller forest. I love the diversity of the different valleys, with different trees and different plants. Besides blue bells, you will find many wild flowers during spring here. We already spotted the first sign of wood anemones.

Also the height differences makes for a beautiful sight. It also makes this hike a little bit more challenging than the average forest hike in the Netherlands. Even though we have had a lot of rain this winter, the trails weren’t muddy. Which made for a pleasant hiking experience during this time of the year.

If you plan to visit during the blue bell season, check the forest’s website. This will guarantee you know which parking areas are open. You can also check and see if the bluebells are in bloom yet.


Let me know if you decide to visit this forest in Belgium this year.

Hiking the Red Route in Hoge Kempen National Park

National park Hoge Kempen is located in Belgium. We decided to start our hike from the visitor center in Maasmechelen. There is a new walking and cycling bridge across the lake. You can park your car at the Maasmechelen outlet village. You can start your hike to the visitor center.

There are multiple day hikes available starting from the visitor center and they are clearly marked. The hiking routes start as easy as 3,6 kilometers and the longest is 15 kilometers. We decided to hike the red route which is 9,5 kilometers with a 200 meter elevation gain.

The hiking trails at Terhills are known for the lake and the hills. The hills provide a stunning view over the surrounding area. This area was a mining area for a long time, but it is not longer in operation. Now you find a beautiful nature reserve here.

We started our hike at the parking lot of Maasmechelen village and we headed over to the visitor center. At the visitor center, you will find some restrooms. There is also a small cafeteria where you can get something to drink or eat. You can also buy a hiking map here if you would like. We didn’t use a hiking map as the paths are clearly marked. We took the red route and at the first fork in the road we decided to hike clockwise. So we started out our hike flat up until the lake. We hiked all the way along the edge of the lake. We saw a lot of beautiful birds and we even saw a kingfisher near the edge of the lake.

It is a beautiful path along the lake, after you take the entire lap around the lake. You will find yourself at the foot of two hills. The hiking trail takes you up those hills, with our first 19% incline. But it is worth it. The top of the hill gives you an amazing view of the national park. You can also see the surrounding area and the lake you just hiked along. There are three hills to climb in total and they all offer a beautiful view of the surrounding area. There are also a lot of benches where you can sit and enjoy the view. As we hiked this on a cold winter day, we decided to not stop and keep on hiking.

A new attraction on this hike is the new walking and cycling bridge across the lake. Which is beautiful, as you get to see the lake from a completely different angle. As well as a lot of water birds that life on this lake.

It was a beautiful hike through the forest, along the edge of the lake, as well as hiking to the top of the hills in the national park which provide an amazing view of national park Hoge Kempen. I especially loved the view with the trees frozen over this time of year.

The map at the entrance said it will take about 2,5 hours . We did the entire hike in 3,5 hours. We did stop for pictures and the trail was very muddy, which took some slowing down on our part. Overall we loved this hike and we will return to do this hike in spring or fall. I assume it will be even more beautiful then when the trees aren’t bare. It did surprise me though that there are so many coniferous trees in this area. Which even in winter provides a beautiful green backdrop.

If you are a first time hiker, I would suggest to do this hike in either spring or summer. As this time of the year the trail was extremely muddy. Especially with the descents it can be quite tricky to hike down. If you do want to do this hike in winter, consider putting on good hiking boots. You could also choose shoes that provide a lot of traction.

Let me know in the comments if you ever hiked this trail or if you would in the future.

AS Adventure hike heather forest Moerbeke

The days are getting shorter, and the weather is getting cooler. Which means it is time to hike more again. I love to go out for hikes on Sunday mornings, when the air is still crisp after a cold night and the grass is still wet. Early morning hikes are the best way to start a Sunday in my opinion. A couple of weekends ago we headed out for our first fall hike in Moerbeke, Belgium. We headed out to the heather forest in Moerbeke (het heidebos).

There are multiple parking lots at the forest, but we always park our car at parking lot 1, which is located at Keizershoek, Moerbeke. From here you can start 4 hiking trails, varying in length from 2,1 kilometer up to 6,4 kilometer. Since we didn’t bring our dog Indy on this hike, we decided on the AS Adventure route of 5 kilometer, which dogs aren’t allowed on.

Unfortunately we decided to hike counterclockwise, which isn’t the smartest thing, as the signs are set up to hike clockwise. It is a well marked route, so even having to look back for the right signs, it was easy to follow the route. The route is unpaved, and takes you through the forest, as well as through the heather fields, where cows roam free. We didn’t encounter any on our hike this time, but due to the cows, dogs aren’t allowed in this area.

The first signs of fall were already starting to show in the forest, with leaves starting to turn color and fungi popping up along the trail. You can take some time to rest at multiple places with benches. The perfect spot to just take in the beauty of this forest.

It is just a short, but beautiful hike. You can combine this loop with the longer yellow one for a longer hike.

Let me know in the comments if you will visit this beautiful forest in the future.

A bluebell hike in the Kravaal forest in Belgium

If you are looking for a hike to witness the beautiful bluebells in Belgium, but you don’t want to beat the crowds at the popular places, this forest might be the place to be for you.

During the month of April multiple forests are covered in a beautiful sea of blue flowers, bluebells. A magical sight to behold that is for sure. We explored a new forest to us which is famous for it’s bluebells. A smaller forest that is, but still beautiful. The bluebells were just starting to bloom. So now would be the perfect time to visit this forest.

We decided on a 8 km hike through and along the beautiful area next to the Kravaal forest. We parked our car at a little bar called “Bij Stinne” from where we started our hike. First we hiked along the edge of the forest and unto the open fields. Which at the moment where blooming with beautiful yellow rapeseed. Which gave a lot of color to the landscape. The first leaves are also starting to show on the trees. So finally it is time to hike through some lush landscapes.

The hike is mostly unpaved, and passes in between the acres, but also through some beautiful villages close to the forest. After about 4k, you enter the forest. Which was quite muddy this time of year with all the rain. But we didn’t let the mud stop us. As we entered the beautiful Kravaal forest we had to hike a little before we reached the area where the first bluebells where showing their colors and the blossom trees where also in full bloom. As I said before this week would be the perfect time to visit this beautiful forest.

Where to start the hike?

The hike starts at Dorpveld 1 in the town of Asse.
You can park your car at the local bar called “Bij Stinne” from where you can pick up the trail.

Let me know in the comments if you try out this hike.

A winter hike in the forest of Brakel

Even though it is still cold, hiking in winter is always a good idea. Just layer up and get outside. Which is what we did on a winter’s day in February and headed to the small town of Brakel, Belgium, to visit this beautiful forest. Where you will find bluebells in just a month or so. The first bluebell leaves are already popping up everywhere.


We started our hike at the parking lot, which is free. You will find the parking lot at the end of the Brakelbosstraat, in Brakel.

There are two routes set out throughout the forest, but since these aren’t too long, we decided to make our own route, with our AlpenVerein app. We hiked a total of 8k in this beautiful forest toward the village of La Houppe, and back through the forest. From La Houppe we also climbed the Pottelberg, which is 157 meter. If you have ever visited The Netherlands, you know we would even call this a mountain. Even though it is not of course.

The forest will be home to thousands of bluebells soon, which you can already see popping up everywhere underneath the trees. The forest isn’t very big, but you can also combine this forest with other forests for longer hikes, like the two forest hike.

We enjoyed a beautiful afternoon in this beautiful forest, with it’s little wooden bridges and it’s beautiful trees. I would love to come back here during spring to see all the bluebells bloom. Would you?

A weekend hiking at Voorne-Putten

Are you looking for a hiking destination within The Netherlands? Look no further, I have found you the perfect destination for a weekend get away in The Netherlands.

Let me introduce you to the beautiful area Voorne-Putten. With 375 kilometers of hiking trails, an amazing place to go hiking for the weekend.

Voorne-Putten is situated just south of Rotterdam, in the province of Zuid Holland. Which makes it an ideal place for a weekend getaway. It is rural and has the only south facing beach in The Netherlands, in Rockanje. Add to that all the picturesque villages and you have a perfect setting for fall.

Boutique hotel de Oude Veste

Where to stay?

We stayed in the beautiful old town of the city Hellevoetsluis at Boutique hotel de Oude Veste. A beautiful small scale hotel housed in the building of the old marine school. The building was build in 1878. And you will only find 7 rooms, all in their own beautiful style. We stayed in room 6, which has a beautiful view of the harbor of Hellevoetsluis and the windmill. Which was first located at ‘Droogdok Jan Blanken’ and was later moved to it’s current location.

The hotel is within walking distance of all the sights of Hellevoetsluis, so you won’t need your car while staying here.

What to see?

In Hellevoetsluis you will find the old defense lines. ‘Stichting Verdedigingswerken’ organizes tours along the defense lines from April until the beginning of October. We were fortunate to catch one of the last tours of the season. As they are not allowed to enter the casemates during the winter months, due to bats.

I can highly recommend taking a tour of the defense line in Hellevoetsluis, as it comes with an incredible story about the history of the beautiful city of Hellevoetsluis.

After your tour you can take a hike through the city of Hellevoetsluis, there are different routes possible. You can make your own route with the “knooppunten” which are well marked along the city.

If you stay within the city, I can highly recommend going for a sunrise hike, which is what we did. As the city is still quiet and the boats reflect beautiful in the water.

Hiking route “Duinen & Valleien”

Where to go hiking?
But of course we came here to go hiking, as Voorne Putten counts 375 kilometer of hiking trails. So let me take you along on the hike “Duinen & Valleien” which starts in the dunes of Rockanje.

We parked our car at the info centre at Tenellaplas, in Rockanje. Where you can easily start the hike, as the first marker is right in front of the visitor centre.

Visitor centre Tenellaplas

Between the ‘knooppunten’ you will follow the red arrow, which will point you in the right direction to the next ‘knooppunt’.

It is an amazing route which totals 13 kilometers, along the beautiful forest and dunes of the island Voorne Putten.

The route is almost entirely unpaved and it almost doesn’t feel like you are in The Netherlands at all. As you just keep walking within nature.

The trail starts in the beautiful forests, and through the dunes, back into the forest. There is only a small part of the trail that will take you along a bicycle path, but that is only about 1k of the total trail.

There are numerous benches along the trail, so just bring your lunch along and find a beautiful spot for a picknick. While you enjoy the peacefulness of this area.

After returning to the visitor centre, don’t forget to check it out. It has some beautiful displays with information of this beautiful area. As well as a little shop. You can also buy hiking routes for children here, called the ‘knapzak’ route.

There is also a restaurant situated next to the parking lot, for your after hike drinks.


Ravense Hout, Hellevoetsluis

If you are looking for a shorter hike, you will want to visit the forest called Ravense Hout, just outside of the city. A beautiful forests, where dogs are allowed to roam free. And where you will find some amazing lanes and bridges inside the forest. We ended our weekend here with a short hike of 3k. Along the beautiful lanes and water ways that are numerous in this forest.

Ravense Hout
Ravense Hout

Where to eat?

Last, but not least, where to eat while visiting Voorne-Putten? I mean, who doesn’t get hungry from all that hiking? So a good and hearty meal will go along way.

We had dinner at restaurant de Beeren in Heenvliet, a beautiful restaurant, in an even more beautiful town. So don’t forget to head over into town after having dinner.

Restaurant de Beeren


Have you ever visited the island of Voorne-Putten? Let me know in the comments or if you are planning on visiting the island in the future.

The Hallerforest

The Hallerforest is famous for the bluebell, they usually bloom during the month of April.

Since I had never been there before I decided to go there at the end of March, of course the bluebells weren’t blooming yet. Even without the bluebells I absolutely loved this forest. I could wander around this forest for hours on end.

In March the forest was still completely deserted at sunrise. For me it is the absolute perfect time to head into the forest. I love to wander around a forest that is just waking up.


You will find two trails in the Hallerforest, a short and a longer trail, but you can also just wander around the forest. There are a lot of signs, so it is quite easy to get around.


While I was shooting, a deer crossed the trail, unfortunately I didn’t see him, but my friend that tagged along did. He even saw the deer twice, but apparently I need new glasses, because I really didn’t see him.

We decided to not hike a trail, but just wander around the forest. Which in this forest is a perfect option, because the forest holds so many beautiful lanes.

Have you ever visited the Hallerforest?


 

The month of January

The other day I came up with this idea to do a review of the month, so you can have a little sneak peek in our live while we are not out travelling. We both have a day job, so we try to get out during the weekend as much as possible. This month has been full with all sort of activities. Let me tell you all about them.

Vakantiebeurs Utrecht

Every year we go to the ‘Vakantiebeurs’ in Utrecht, which is the biggest travel fair in The Netherlands. So of course this January we went there again and came home with lots of inspiration. If you follow me on Instagram you might have seen some of my pictures of the fair in my instastories.

We looked into trips to Japan and some destinations closer to home, like the North Coast of Spain and the Dolomites in Italy. Either one will probably be our destination for our spring roadtrip.

There is also a hall with lots of camping gear and this year there was a stand with rooftop tents, which we added to our list of gear we would love to purchase in the future.

Hiking

Ofcourse we also went hiking, this time we ventured to the Kloosterbos in Belgium, where we did just a small hike in the late afternoon and we were so lucky to come across 4 deer on our hike! I can barely believe it myself, since I had never seen a deer in this area before.

We also stayed close to home for our walks with Milow where we ventured into the forest as much as possible.

Photography

Ofcourse I can’t go an entire month without going out just to photograph, so I went into town to do some night time photography.

Ourneverendingwanderlust .-6264
Bruges
The last weekend of January Andy and I headed out to Bruges with one of my friends. We visited the brewery the Halve Maan. I had never visited the brewery before, but ofcourse I did have some Brugse Zot before, which is one of the house brands of the brewery. Did you know that they transport the beer underneath the streets of Bruges? I will tell you all about Bruges in another blog.

Our neverending Wanderlust Buges-6574

Our neverending Wanderlust Buges-6644

Our neverending Wanderlust Buges-6714

As you can tell we had a busy, but fun month of January. Along with a lot of trips and fun activities we also had a lot of appointments for our new home, which they hopefully start building in June. Keeping our fingers crossed for that.

So what did you do this month? And would you like me to continue posting a review of our month?

The Speulderbos

Like I told you a while ago we spend the last weekend of september on the Veluwe. I had signed up for a photography workshop that Sunday and since it started at 7 in the morning we decided to make it a weekend getaway.

Ourneverendingwanderlust Speulderbos-1935

We drove up to Garderen on Friday night after work. We stayed at the Bilderberg hotel Speulderbos, where we enjoyed the comforts of a hotel with the forest starting right at the front door.

We were extremely lucky with the weather that weekend, because we had fog in the morning, both on Saturday and Sunday, and a beautiful sunny afternoon. As a photographer I prefer to have some fog when I shoot in the forest.

The first day we didn’t get up super early, but we started the day a bit more relaxed with a breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast we drove up to Drie where we parked the car and hiked a 10km route through the Speulderbos.

We hiked through old forests and through fields of heather and we were lucky to run into the sepherd and his herd. We watched the sheep graze for a while.

Ourneverendingwanderlust Speulderbos-2003

The Speulderbos truly is a magical forest, I had never seen anything like it in The Netherlands.

Because we went in September it was also a great time to go and look for fungi, which is what we did during our hike. There are a lot of different varieties to be found in the Speulderbos and we were lucky to spot quite a few.

After our hike we returned to the parking lot at Boshuis Drie. We wanted to grab some lunch here, but unfortunately there was no free table left. If you want to have lunch here after your hike, make sure to make some reservations beforehand.

We drove back to the hotel to have a small lunch and just relax at the front lawn in the sun before we had dinner.

Have you ever visited the magical Speulderbos?