The best traffic-free bike rides around Heist-Op-Den-Berg

He waits for wind...

Beautiful windmill on the heath of Gijmel and Langdorp. The windmill has been very well preserved because it has never been destroyed or burned down. This is a good place to rest for a while, as there are several benches here.

Beautiful windmill on the heath of Gijmel and Langdorp. This mill has been very well preserved because it was never burned down or destroyed. There are several benches at the mill to rest for a while;

Beautiful windmill on the heath of Gijmel and Langdorp. It has always remained in the same place since its establishment and has never been destroyed by fire or wars. There are several benches around the mill.

In a dead-end part of the city center, this beautiful little church awaits your visit...

The Heimolen is a post mill dating from 1662, located on Windmolenstraat in Gijmel/Langdorp, Aarschot, and is owned by Natuurpunt. It is one of the last 130 wooden windmills remaining in Flanders. What makes it special is that it has remained in the same location since its inception and has never been destroyed by fire or war. The current structure of the Heimolen is almost entirely original. The fact that the mill has never been thoroughly renovated is evident not only from inscriptions inside the mill but also from various historical documents. Moreover, the mill itself reveals its origins: it is one of the very few windmills with a straight chapel roof – after 1700, curved chapel roofs were common everywhere. The mill is open to the public: All year round, every 2nd and 4th Sunday from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The mill is open on these days, but not in operation. During these hours, visits and tours of the Heimolen are free. For tours outside of these hours, you can make an appointment with one of the volunteers. A fee of €2 per person is charged, with a minimum of €50. To schedule a visit, please contact: Bert: 0476/23 27 90 Luc: 016/50 12 13

The Grote Nete, roughly speaking, marks the transition to the Kempen region. This rain-fed river flows through a diverse landscape with vast marshlands, sandy grasslands, and mixed forests. The Grote Nete valley includes the Grote Laak, Kleine Laak, Rode Laak, Wimp, Herselt Loop, and Zaartloop. Source and more (with hiking tips) at https://www.landschapsparkdemerode.be/vallei-van-de-grote-nete

The Liniebrug bicycle and pedestrian bridge is part of the Liniefietsweg (Line Cycle Path), which is approximately 800 meters long and also includes a small bridge over the Steenkesbrug and new bicycle posts. Day trippers, such as hikers, also benefit: Hulshout is located in the Grote Nete valley, where the Sigma Plan is creating "wet nature." No fewer than 850 hectares of flower-rich grasslands and reed beds will be added, the favorite habitat of numerous unique plants and animals. This wet nature also serves a safety function. It acts like a sponge and retains water, so flooding should soon be a thing of the past. Source and more information on the Sigma Plan website: https://www.sigmaplan.be/nl/nieuws/liniebrug-over-grote-nete-feestelijk-ingefietst You can also find more information about the Sigma Plan in the region at the information board of the Paddle Route on Netestraat (the large bridge that forms the border between Westmeerbeek and Heultje), specifically on the back of that information board. See https://www.komoot.com/nl-nl/highlight/8241341 Both the bridge and the road take their names from a nearby large body of water, called "De Linie" (The Line), located west of the other pond, "De Poer."