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.
Win een weekend weg naar het prachtige Voorne putten
De afgelopen twee jaar mocht in de herfst genieten van al het moois dat het eiland Voorne-Putten te bieden heeft. Fietsen over het eiland, langs uitgestrekte landschappen of wandelen door de duinen. Het kan hier allemaal. En jij kan een weekend naar deze prachtige najaarsbestemming winnen. Hoe? Dat lees je onderaan deze blog post. Voor nu neem ik je even mee in mijn tips voor Voorne-Putten.
Wandeling Duinen en Valleien in Rockankje
Deze wandeling start vanaf het bezoekerscentrum Tennellaplas in Rockanje. Een prachtig opgezet bezoekerscentrum, wat zeker een bezoekje waard is. Deze wandeling neemt je mee door de prachtige duinen van het eiland. Hier waan je je even alleen op de wereld. Met prachtige weidse landschappen gedurende de wandeling heb je even helemaal niet het gevoel in Nederland te zijn, maar midden in de natuur.
Verdedigingslinies Hellevoetsluis
Over de verdedigingslinies in Hellevoetsluis is veel te vertellen, ga met een gids mee van “Stichting Verdedigingswerken” Zij kunnen je alles vertellen over waarvoor de bunkers dienden tijdens de verschillende periodes in de geschiedenis van Hellevoetsluis. Een informatieve en leuke ochtend gegarandeerd.
Wandelen in het Ravense hout, Hellevoetsluis
Een schitterend bos, net buiten de stad Hellevoetsluis. Hier kan je heerlijk wandelen, langs de watertjes, over bruggetjes en door schitterende bomen lanen. Een korte, maar leuke wandeling.
Overnacht in Boutique Hotel de Oude Veste in Hellevoetsluis
Ik mag een overnachting voor twee personen weg geven in het prachtige Boutique Hotel de Oude Veste, te Hellevoetsluis. Een bijzonder hotel, want dit hotel is gevestigd in een historisch pand uit 1878. Dit pand is jaren in gebruik geweest door de Koninklijke marine. Nu dient het als kleinschalig hotel, met 7 hotel kamers. Met elk hun eigen stijl. Wij verbleven in kamer 6 met uitzicht op de haven van Hellevoetsluis en de molen. Heerlijk wakker worden met de grote raampartijen en dit uitzicht.
Wil jij dit nou ook?
Laat dan je gegevens achter via deze link en wie weet overnacht jij binnenkort in dit prachtige hotel! Deze winactie sluit op 8 oktober 2023.
Situated in Brabant, The Netherlands, you will find Van Gogh National Park. As a photographer I am always in search of the light, inspired by one of the most famous Dutch Painters, Vincent Van Gogh.
In the Van Gogh national park culture and nature meet. Let yourself be inspired by one of the greatest artist of The Netherlands, Vincent Van Gogh.There are 5 Van Gogh hiking routes situated in the National Park, which stretches from the West to the East of Brabant. Let me tell you more about the hiking routes near Van Gogh his birth place, Zundert.
Poem route Henriette Roland Holst
First let’s start with a 5k hiking route, starting at the beautiful Angora Hoeve, in the Oude Buisse Heide. Which is situated close by Roosendaal.
The Angora Hoeve was the home of Henriette Roland Holst, a Dutch poet. There is a parking lot at the Angora Hoeve. Next to the Angora Hoeve, you will find the ‘atelier’. Which was burned down, right after it was restored by an artist who couldn’t agree with it’s remarkable architecture. But today it is restored to its full glory. You can take a little detour to visit the Atelier.
The poet route will take you along Rhodendron lanes, towards beautiful oak lanes and into the fens. It is a diverse hiking route, which is well marked.
Along the way you will find Henriette’s poems displayed. Inspiring you with her words and the beautiful nature surrounding the poems.
Van Gogh hiking route Etten-Leur
Etten-Leur is the place where Vincent Van Gogh started his career as a painter in 1881. So it is the perfect place to follow in the footsteps of Vincent Van Gogh. You can experience the places that inspired Vincent Van Gogh his work.
The perfect place to start this hiking route is The Menmoerhoeve. Which is the perfect place to stop for a lunch or a drink after your hike. The hike is 14k and takes you along the different landscapes that inspired Vincent Van Gogh. You will cross heather fields, as well as beautiful forests and fens.
It is a diverse hike, and if you are lucky you might even find some sheep or cows during your hike.
The van Gogh House
If you still have some time left and you want to learn more about Vincent Van Gogh. You can visit his birthtown Zundert, where you will find The Van Gogh House. Which will tell you more about his art, as well as other expositions which are held here.
One thing you can’t miss when you visit Zundert is the time square. Because if you look carefully, you might notice something special about the pattern of the square. A little hint, you can only take it completely in when watching it form above.
I hope this blog has given you new inspiration to let yourself be inspired by one of the most famous Dutch Painters, as well as finding beauty in the Dutch landscapes of Brabant.
This year I was invited to share 8 of my favorite spots in Zeeland for the upcoming months. Starting in November until June. I thought I would share the spots I share on my instagram page in a blog post. So you will be able to find all my 8 favorite spots in one click.
I will be adding to this blog post for the next 7 months. So make sure to keep on checking this blog post.
1. Nieuwvliet-Bad
Zeeland is more then just beaches. This spot is located in the dunes in Nieuwvliet and is called ‘De Verdronken Zwarte Polder’. This area will either be flooded or dry depending on the tide of the sea. You will find wooden walking paths here to get easy acces to the beach, so you can keep your feet dry.
There are a lot of birds in this area, as well as some sheep. I even spotted a kingfisher here! It kept circling around me and coming back.
You can hike here on the east side, the hike starts at the Zeedijk, you can follow the red markers which is about a 3k hike.
How to get here? You can park your car at the Dwarsdijk, Nieuwvliet and cross the dunes from the parking lot where you can pick up the hiking route. The parking lot is located right next door to Roompot Beach Resort. In the winter months parking is free, but during summer you will have to pay to park here.
2. Lighthouse Breskens
In Breskens you will find a beautiful cast iron lighthouse. It has been there since 1868. It is the oldest still existing cast iron lighthouse in the Netherlands. It is one of the most iconic buildings in West Zeeuws-Vlaanderen.
During low tide you can walk along the beach to Breskens. During high tide you can walk along the dykes.
From the lighthouse you can see the skyline of Vlissingen, which is located on across the Westerschelde.
How to get here? The lighthouse is located at the Panoramaweg, where you can park your car for up to an hour. You can also park your car at the end of the Panoramaweg, where there is a big parking lot. Where parking is free during the winter months.
3. Forest Clinge
In Clinge you will find a beautiful forest. It is a beautiful place to go for a hike and you can even wander into Belgium from here into “Het Stropersbos”, as it is situated on the border.
During fall you will find a lot of toadstools here. As well as squirrels busy collecting their winter harvest.
How to get there? There is a little parking lot in Clinge at the entrance of the forest. The parking lot is located at the Hoogegeeststraat, Clinge.
Let me know in the comments what your favorite spots are in Zeeland. Would love to hear them!
4. Zoutelande
There is this song in Dutch about the beach in Zoutelande, but Zoutelande is so much more. I love this corner of Zeeland. The dunes are quite high, which makes for some beautiful view points. You can walk along the walkway in the dunes. Which gives you a beautiful overview of the sea and the backlands.
In the dunes you will find some shelters left from the war. There is even a museum, which you can visit during the summer months. When I was there it was closed though.
How to get there? There are multiple parking lots in Zoutelande, which are clearly marked. I parked my car at parking Wulkpad. Which is only a street away from the beach.
5. Castle Westhove
Did you know there are castles in Zeeland?
One of them is kasteel Westhove, situated in the Dunes near Domburg and Oostkapelle. The gardens are free to access and there are beautiful hiking trails.
I hiked the blue route, which is about 3km, but you can add an extra loop by including a visit to the beach. Which is exactly what we did. Having our morning tea on the beach, watching the waves crashing ashore.
How to get there? There is a parking lot at the Duinvlietweg, Oostkapelle. During the season this is a payed parking lot. All routes start from this parking lot.
6. Saeftinghe
The sunken land of Saeftinghe is a nature reserve situated on the border of Belgium and The Netherlands. It is the place where the river the Scheldt meets the sea the Western Scheldt. That is why the water in Saeftinghe is brackish. It is the biggest brackish husky in Europe. Due to the constant change of the tide, Saeftinghe is an ever changing nature reserve.
You can visit Saeftinghe on your own or your can book a guided tour at the visitor centre located in Emmadorp. Which have started up their tours again as of the 17th of May 2021.
The hiking routes which you can visit on your own also start from the visitor centre in Emmadorp, where you can also park your car for free.
On “het ruige laarzen pad” you will need rain boots. On the “plankierpad” they aren’t required, but I would wear them anyways, since it is really muddy. They are both short trails, 1 and 2 km long, but you can combine them.
The Netherlands is known for it’s tulip fields. You will find the famous tulip fields around Lisse, The Netherlands. But did you know that away from the crowds there are also tulip fields situated in Zeeland?
The tulip fields in Zeeland are mostly situated around Hulst and Graauw. You can make a little road trip out of it.
8. Dishoek & Westkapelle
Zeeland is known for it’s beaches. Which inadvertently links it to lighthouses.
One of the lighthouses is situated on the road and you can actually drive up to the lighthouse at Westkapelle. You can park your car at the foot of the lighthouse and watch the sunset in the sea.
The other lighthouses, there are two of them, you will find in the dunes of Dishoek. An area where you can hike for hours. Or just enjoy the beach.
The Belgium Ardennes had been on my list to visit for ages. And even though it is close by (about a 2/3 hour drive) for some reason we have never made it out there. So I thought it was time to finally explore this beautiful region of Belgium. So I invited one of my friends to go on a day hike.
We headed out early in the morning, around 4 am, because we wanted to make it in time for the sunrise. Unfortunately it took us longer then we expected to reach our final destination, so we missed out on the sunrise.
Our final destination was Nisramont. There the river the Ourthe passes through the forest and it is the start of a 13 km hiking trail.
We parked our car at the big parking lot near the little restaurant which is situated at the head of the trail. After a quick coffee we headed out onto the trail.
You can enter the trail by walking past the restaurant on the left side, where you will find the sign of the start of the trail. You will follow the red markers along the trail. The trail is marker really well, so a map isn’t quite nescessary. We hiked about 5 hours, but we did make lots of stops to shoot. Especially the first couple of kilometers.
Along the trail there are a couple of look outs, which will give you an incredible overview over the river the Ourthe and the surrounding forest. Beside the lookouts there are several places where you can sit and enjoy the river. Which is incredible especially on summer days.
If you hike this trail in the fall make sure to bring a hiking stick, because this trail can become really slippery. There are two steep climbs at the end of the trail, which will be quite challenging in wet conditions.
We did the hike during the heat of summer, so when we ended our hike we took a dive into the river. Which was incredible. There are a lot of spots at the river where you can enjoy a relaxing afternoon at the river. You can also rent kayaks and stand up paddle boards at the restaurant to explore the river from the water.
For me the best moment of this hike was jumping in the lake after finishing our hike, because it had become 36 degrees by the time we finished the trail.
I can’t wait to come back to the Ardennes in the fall and explore more of this beautiful region.
Have you visited the Ardennes in Belgium before? What is your go to hike?
Two years ago, in 2016, we went on a 4 week roadtrip through France. Which took us to many incredible places and hikes.
One of the places we decided to make camp at was the Auverge. The Auvergne is a beautiful part of France, and luckily it isn´t yet overflown with tourist. Which for us was a big plus. If you love nature, the Auvergne is definitely the place to be. The Auvergne is known for it´s volcanoes. One of them is the Puy de Dome, which is the most famous volcano of the region.
The Puy de Dome is a very popular destination for paragliders, but it is also a beautiful place to hike.
There is a big car park at the foot of the Puy de Dome, from where you can either take the train up to the top or you can hike, ofcourse we decided to do the hike.
The first part of the trail will take you through a forest until you get to the start of the trail going up the Puy de Dome. From there it is a long trail going up and up and up, until you reach the summit at 1415 meters. There are benches along the trail everywhere, so you can enjoy the view of the surrounding volcanoes.
When you get to the summit you will find a restaurant, where you can have a bite to eat. There are also benches where you can eat your own sandwiches.
When you want to head down, you just follow the train for the first few meters. After a couple of hundred metres you will find the entrance to the trail down. There are stairs to take you back down to the car park and this part of the trail will take you through an incredible landscape. I was waiting for the hobbits to pass me on this part of the trail.
Along the trail there are a couple of look outs, which will give you an incredible overview over the river the Ourthe and the surrounding forest. Beside the lookouts there are several places where you can sit and enjoy the river. Which is incredible especially on summer days.
There is a big car park at the foot of the Puy de Dome, from where you can either take the train up to the top or you can hike, ofcourse we decided to do the hike.
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