This walk goes through the Zavel and Gruitrode forests around the pearl of the Dune Belt, the Oudsberg. This is the highest and largest open drifting dune in Flanders. It rises 85 m above sea level. The Oudsberg is surrounded by beautiful heathlands, stately forests and heather-poor grasslands.
Distance: 14 km.
Time: 3h30.
Grade: Moderate.
Type: Circular.
Gps Track: Yes.
Route description: Yes.
Wheelchair: Not suitable.
Dog: Allowed.
Height gain: 148 meters.
Trail: 95% unpaved.
Marking: Red.
Hiking shoes recommended.
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Dune Belt.
The walk goes through the mixed forests of the Zavel forest to the Maria Berg chapel. The route continues on forest roads and paths through the Gruitroder forest. Just before the village of Gruitrode it is recommended to take the shortening because the normal route really has no added value. You walk through mixed forests in the direction of the Dune Belt. A completely different landscape opens up here. You walk through a beautiful heath and dune landscape via sandy paths. You go around the Oudsberg with beautiful views. Once you start the descent, you walk again through the Zavel forest to the starting point.
Download PDf for route description.
Part through loose sand.
POI 1 - Oudsberg Nature Reserve.
The nature reserve is part of a belt of dunes that used to stretch from Hechtel to Maaseik. 15,000 years ago, after the last ice ages, the Kempisch Plateau had to deal with enormous sand drifts. Deep emptied depressions formed, in which fens developed. High sand deposits protrude above the landscape like dune ridges. As the climate warmed, birch and oak forests developed. In the Middle Ages, the soil southwest of De Oudsberg became impoverished due to intensive reclamation. As a result, only heather could survive. Local overgrazing of sheep once again caused sand drift, which has shaped the current dune landscape. Today the inland dunes are still in full evolution. The Oudsberg was once 95 meters high, but in recent decades it shrank at least 7 meters. The Oudsberg has lost the title of highest hill in the Kempen in the meantime, but the Oudsberg has been selected as a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage.
Natuur en Bos.
www.natuurenbos.be.
