The best dog-friendly hikes and walks in Hertberg

Good water quality is essential for biodiversity. Therefore, it is important that the nutrient-rich soil layer is not disturbed. The water then becomes cloudy and certain plants, such as algae, begin to proliferate. Algae consume a lot of oxygen at night, resulting in the animals in the pond having a difficult time. To protect this special biotope, passers-by must leave the water undisturbed. (Information board on site)

Useful information on this board. Definitely read. Hertberg is located in the municipality of Herselt, between the village centers of Bergom and Blauberg. The Diestsebaan divides the area into Hertberg-West and Hertberg-East.

All sorts of info about Hertberg Oost can be found on the board. Hertberg-Oost, a 75-hectare forest, consists mainly of monotonous coniferous forests with Scots pine and Corsican pine. Besides Corsican pine and Scots pine, you will also find Rowan, Alder buckthorn, Narrow and Broad buckler-fern, Bilberry and Wild honeysuckle.

Small chapel of Mary on a pole.

It's always nice to walk on such a boardwalk. Be careful in wet weather, even though there is an iron mesh on the boardwalk.

Information sign with a map about Varenbroek, a small nature reserve on the Varendonkse Beek or Rode Laak stream. This area was long the private hunting ground of the Princes of Merode, meaning the natural environment has been well preserved and several large oaks can be found here.

This bat tower was built as a summer roost for several local bat species, such as the common pipistrelle, the serotine bat, and the common long-eared bat. The tower provides the bats with a daytime roost and shelter from the sun and predators of these winged mammals. If the bats feel at home there, the tower will likely serve as a maternity roost. The tower was placed in a quiet, sunny spot near several rows of trees and ponds. These are important hunting grounds for the bats. (De Merode Landscape Park)

The forester's villa (1902). In its natural setting, it has a touch of Belle Époque architecture: light and airy in its brickwork and roofing. From a distance, you can see two parts: a Kempen-style long facade and, at right angles to it, a shorter building with a front house on the left and a bay window on the right, snugly nestled between that front house and a perpendicular transept. The two large slate roofs are called hipped roofs: the front and back are "hipped" by a triangular roof slope called a hipped roof. The triangular extension with a six-part tented roof suggests the entrance to the house. The colored lines of the walls, the pinnacles of the roof, and the symmetry of the windows further enhance the building's elegance.