Top Trail Lieteberg

THEME

Dream tour

START

‘Lieteberg’, Gateway to the Hoge Kempen National Park, Parking Lieteberg, Blookbergstraat, 3690 Zutendaal. See Google Maps.

The information board is set up at the start point.

END

Same place

LENGTH

 10,2 km

DIFFICULTY

Moderate (Wear sturdy footwear)

DESCRIPTION

The first section of the trail leads to the center of the village of Zutendaal. After passing the village with lots of services (hotels, restaurants, bus stop,… ) you pass an old local historical building ‘Witherenpastorij’, and the ‘Dalerschans’. In the 16th century, the area of the Kempen was regularly the target of enemy armies. The Kempen villages did not have many moated castles to take shelter. That is why the population tried to protect themselves by making fortifications. These were areas, surrounded by an earthen wall and a wide moat, where residents could retreat to small temporary homes. The fortress could be closed via a drawbridge. Here you see a reconstruction of the ‘Dalerschans’. Here you also walk through the orchard of the ‘Dorperbemd’.

After this, the trail continues to the lakes of ‘Papendaalheide’. In this section, the landscape type is all about the lake. The lakes are old sand and gravel quarries with beautiful scenery. Multiple rest areas are well chosen so you have a nice view of the lakes.

At the beginning of this third section, you walk next to one of the lakes of ‘Papendaalheide’. Narrow paths lead you through a pine forest on your way to ‘Europarcs Hoge Kempen’. Here there is a service point present (Brasserie Julia). Then we reach the Creekvalley of the ‘Zutendaalbeek’ that you cross over a boardwalk.

In the last section, you pass the nature area of the ‘Hesselberg’. This is a forest on the Plateau of the Hoge Kempen. You walk around the hill ‘Hesselberg’  and have a view of an open landscape in the forest with a 6-meter-high statue of Mary, mother of Jesus. While walking back to the starting point you walk through the nature area of the Creekvalley ‘Broekerbeek’.

At the gateway of Lieteberg (the biodiversity center of the National Park), there is a visitor center with services (WC, restaurant), expos on wildlife, a garden with butterflies, and a 360° panorama painting of the landscape in the Hoge Kempen before the mining industry. Also, there is a bare foot path of 3 km, which is very popular.

MARKING

This trail is signposted with a Red sign:

You can advantageously follow the route with a map, a GPS, or a smartphone.

See the links below for the options.

PURCHASING OPPORTUNITIES

You can buy a map in the National Park Visitor Center, Zetellaan 54, 3630 Maasmechelen.

OTHERS

The LQT-Day Walk ‘Top Trail Lieteberg’ was created in collaboration with Visit Flanders and the municipality of Zutendaal.

LINKS

Komoot:

Outdooractive (click at Learn More):

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