This walk pays tribute to Juul Noeyens. Between 1970 and 1989, Juul organized a walk from Worteldorp to Wortel-Kolonie for 20 years with Wortel fair (second Sunday in July). He chose a special corner in or around the colony and each time told an interesting story. In doing so, he not only brought people together in a sporting activity, but he also made them aware of the cultural-historical heritage and thus made an unmistakable contribution to the development of tourism in the region. Juul was a schoolteacher in Wortel where he also lived and was a very active and beloved village figure. For him, walking to the colony was literally going back to his roots, because he was born there. Next to the Casino there has been a monument since 1989 in memory of the man who "taught Wortel to walk", but who unfortunately died at the age of 69.
Distance: 4.5 km or 13 km.
Time: 1h15 or 3h15.
Grade: Easy or moderate.
Type: Circular.
Gps Track: Yes.
Route description: Yes.
Wheelchair: Not suitable.
Dog: Allowed.
Height gain: Flat.
Trail: Paved and unpaved.
Marking: Walking nodes.
Hiking shoes recommended.
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THE MAN WHO LEARNED WORTEL TO WALK.
At walking node 23 you can extend the walk by 8.5 km. This route takes you via Papenvoort to the hamlet of Bolk. Then you walk further in the direction of the hamlet of Keirschot and through Wortel past the former home of Juul Noeyens. You return to the starting point via the Torendreef.
Download PDf for nodes to follow.
POI 1 - Graveyard of vagrants.
Here a number of vagrants found their final resting place. In March 1988, Juul and his friend Jozef Bosch, the then director of Wortel-Kolonie, together with teachers and the students of the Wortelse municipal school, planted a 1.5 hectare oak forest behind the cemetery. Bosch also had a memorial erected in the cemetery to the victims of the bombing of October 13, 1944 and to the many victims who were killed on the domain by landmines after the war. The last of these were only cleared by the demining service in 1986.
No extra information.
