The best traffic-free bike rides in Natuurreservaat Vallei Van De Zwarte Beek - Beringen

Meinterril Beringen is a nature reserve in the municipality of Koersel, located on slag heap number 2 of the former Beringen coal mine. It is owned by the Agency for Nature and Forests. The mine closed in 1989 and the slag heap was remediated in 1995. Herbs were planted and the entire area was opened to the public. At a height of 100 meters, there is a plateau with a view over the surroundings.

This former school, located next to the church, is one of the oldest secondary schools in Limburg and dates back to 1250. The then Latin college was a cradle for students from the region for centuries. The main building dates from 1847 and, after a major fire, was partly replaced in 1909 by the current building. In the 20th century, the prestige of the college continued to grow, as did the number of students. Expansion into an impressive building with a study hall, chapel, games room, and rooms for the priest-teachers became necessary. On October 3, 1933, the first stone was laid. A document about this first stone laying was found in a leaden tube during the renovation in 2020. In 2017, the students moved to the new school campus Spectrumcollege Beringen. Since 2021, the Town Hall of Beringen has been housed in the former school. The facade and the former chapel of the college, now used as a council and wedding hall, have been preserved.

The Valley of the Black River in Limburg is one of the largest and most valuable nature reserves in Flanders (over 1300 ha), managed by Natuurpunt and ANB. It offers a unique variety of marshy river valleys, heathland, and dunes, with Bezoekerscentrum De Watersnip in Beringen as the central starting point for walks. A pleasant cycle path winds through it.

Quiet and beautiful surroundings

Beringen mine spoil heap is a nature reserve on the territory of Koersel (part of Beringen) and is located on Terril number 2 of the former Beringen coal mine. Between 1941 and 1949, 11,600,000 m³ of stone was dumped here. Beringen mine spoil heap is owned by the Agency for Nature and Forests. The mine was closed in 1989 and the spoil heap was cleaned up in 1995. Herbs were sown and the whole was made accessible to the public. At a height of 125 m, 100 m above the surroundings, there is a plateau from which one has a view of the surroundings. The birds include the skylark, tree pipit, meadow pipit and lapwing. The queen page and the blue-winged grasshopper are some of the rare insects that occur in the area.

The Adventure Mountain is a unique attraction that connects the foot of the small slag heap at the track park with the top, at a height of 55 m. A special play landscape, substantive heritage paths, breathtaking mountain bike paths (MTB) and views of relics of mining history together form a total concept in which experience is central. (Openbaargroen.be)

On the Adventure Mountain you can clamber, climb and discover. Through a forest of 1,600 poles you reach the top of the slag heap via stairs, rope courses, climbing structures, crawl tunnels and walking paths. The path leads you from one viewpoint to the next and offers background information about the history of the coal mine. At the top you can relax on the sunken coal square and enjoy the peace and the view.

Thanks to archaeological excavations, we know that there was a small hall church here in the 9th century, which was later replaced by a Romanesque church, with three naves, crossing and west tower. The Gothic-style choir was added later. The church was destroyed several times (including in 1467 by the troops of Charles the Bold and in 1654 by fire). In 1839, the then massive tower, which can still be seen in a print by Remacle le Loup, collapsed. Even 12 students in the neighboring school were killed. Three years later, a new tower with a slender spire was built and the church was also thoroughly restored and adapted: the side aisles were renovated in a neo-Gothic style. The different construction periods of the church are also clearly visible in the different building materials: the Gothic parts are made of iron sandstone, while the neo-Gothic church was mainly built of brick and limestone. The choir, nave and transept have been protected since 1949 and the neo-Gothic parts since 1993.