Walking route
Munsterbos.
Munsterbos.
This walk in the Hoge Kempen National Park goes through the beautiful Munsterbos that lies on the border of the poor Kempen and the fertile Haspengouw. The walk goes through old mixed deciduous forests along the Sint-Amor chapel to the Staatsvijvers where you have a beautiful view of the ponds that date from the beginning of the 17th century from the viewing tower. In the Bonijterbos you walk over winding forest paths to the castle of Groenendael. Through an open landscape with grasslands it continues in the direction of the meandering Munsterbeek.
Distance: 11.5 km.
Time: 3h00.
Grade: Moderate.
Type: Circular.
Gps Track: Yes.
Route description: No.
Wheelchair: Not suitable.
Dog: Allowed on leach.
Height gain: Flat.
Trail: Paved and unpaved.
Marking: yellow hexagon.
Hiking shoes recommended.
Bonijter forest.
The walk starts at Edelhof Castle and goes through the Edelhof Park in the direction of the Munsterbos. When you cross the Munsterbeek you walk along an unpaved forest road to the remarkable forest chapel of Sint-Armor. The Sint-Amor chapel was built in 1941 with fragments of bunkers, among other things. We owe the name to a French pilgrim. A little further on you come to the ponds of the Munsterbos, known to the locals as “the state ponds”. Here you can admire a beaver dam up close and from the lookout tower you have a beautiful view over the ponds. The route continues along the wide unpaved forest road to the chapel of the Secret Army, a simple brick chapel with the emblem of the resistance movement of the Secret Army. You leave the forest and arrive at the castle mill of Zangerheiken. Here you follow the Zangerheistraat for a fairly long stretch until you reach the Bonijterbos. Via winding forest paths you walk to the castle of Groenendael that dates from the 18th century. Along quiet roads you now walk in the direction of the stream valley of the Munsterbeek. You follow the bank of this meandering stream until the bridge of the outward journey. From here you follow the route of the outward journey until the starting point.
Download PDF for map.
Some trails can be muddy.
POI 1 - Sint-Amor kapel.
The Saint-Amor chapel looks like a mini-castle. The round tower even has loopholes. The chapel is dedicated to Saint Amor, a saint from the 8th century, a French pilgrim who settled as a hermit in Munsterbilzen in later life.
No additional information.
POI 3 - De Vijvers.
The ponds of the Munsterbos, known to the locals as “the state ponds”, date from the beginning of the 17th century. They were constructed according to a centuries-old Kempen system for fish farming.
No additional information.
POI 4 - Chapel of the Secret Army.
The simple brick chapel bears the emblem of the Secret Army resistance movement. It was built on the site of a former hiding place of this resistance movement and where a number of members of this movement were executed by the occupier. The chapel is flanked on both sides by a marble memorial column bearing the names of 54 murdered resistance fighters. The Secret Army was an armed Belgian resistance group during the Second World War.
No additional information.
POI 6 - Groenendael Castle.
Groenendaal is an incorrect and late spelling for the original Croenendael or Croonendael. Croenendael was a large fief in Loon, which together with Hoelbeek and Jonckholt (confer Hoelbeek) formed one fief, in the possession of the lords of Jonckholt. At the end of the 14th century, the goods were divided: Aleidis van Jonckholt, married to Godenoel van Elderen, lord of Elderen, inherited Croenendael. The estate then came into the possession of the Lamboy family (1477). In the middle of the 18th century (1757), the de Grady family owned the estate. It was Michel Joseph de Grady (+ circa 1786) who converted the old, 17th-century castle in Maas style into its current, classicist form, as well as the farm. In 1861, the estate was sold to Baron Emile de Rosen de Borgharen. It is still privately owned.
No additional information | Not accessible to the public.
Walks Limburg.
