The best dog-friendly hikes and walks around Hasselt

The cycle path through the water leads cyclists over a 212-meter-long and three-meter-wide concrete path, with water at eye level on both sides. Swans and other waterfowl swim along the banks, curiously watching the cyclists. Since its opening, interest in this unique cycle path has been enormous. On average, 800 visitors per day explore this unforgettable part of the Limburg cycle network, with peaks on Saturdays and Sundays, and on some days even up to 5,000 cyclists.

The heath landscape is a remnant of a historical, extensive agricultural ecosystem. Of the area of heath that existed around 1850, about 5 percent remained at the end of the twentieth century. The remaining heathlands are now nature reserves or are used as military training grounds. Today, heath is scarce in Flanders and still covers 0.6 to 1 percent of the total area: about 7,700 to 13,000 hectares. Nevertheless, the heath landscape is of great importance for the preservation of biodiversity: 13% of the most endangered animal and plant species in Flanders can be found in the heath landscape.

The name Maten is related to the English "meadows". The area is part of De Wijers, a pond complex on the transition from the Kempens Plateau to the Demer Valley. On the poor sandy soils of the Kempen, fish farming was a source of extra protein. As early as the Middle Ages, series of ponds were created by means of simple cross-dikes in the valley. The overflow from one pond simultaneously forms the supply for the next pond. For the ponds in De Maten, the Stiemerbeek valley was dammed up several times. As fish farming became more intensive in the first half of the twentieth century, many ponds were given separate inlets and outlets. In De Maten, you will still find a mix of both systems. The water management is therefore a complex part of the management of one of the oldest nature reserves in Flanders.

Ornithology or bird science is a specialization of zoology that deals with the study of birds. It includes the classification of species and observation of behavior, migration, song, and flight patterns. Birds are ringed, among other things, to learn more about their migratory behavior and age. An ornithologist is a practitioner of ornithology. A hobby ornithologist is a birdwatcher.

This small castle is actually a neoclassical manor house with accompanying service buildings and a farm complex from the 19th century, situated in a wooded park in a landscape style with remarkable old oaks and beeches.

Children can let loose to their heart's content at the petting zoo, the play forest, and on the adventurous (board) paths. Those who are a bit older can recharge their batteries in the five gardens. Or learn something about fauna and flora during one of the many workshops. Taverne Koe-Vert will take care of the snacks and drinks, with a focus on organic, local, and fair trade.

Geographically, the Kiewit nature reserve belongs to the Limburg Kempen, where nutrient-poor pools or fens occur in shallow depressions. These small, usually saucer-shaped depressions are found primarily on sandy soils formed during the last ice ages. Fens are natural pools with fluctuating water levels. They are not fed by a stream. The fen water is usually very clear and full of insects such as dragonflies and other aquatic life.

Since 2020, efforts have been underway here to combat an invasive alien species, the watercress (Crassula sylvestris), a small plant that can multiply explosively in bare areas and outpaces all native seedlings. Keeping this alien species under control requires intensive and costly management. Moreover, the alien species suffocates all other native aquatic plants. Attempts are being made here to combat this alien species in a natural way. First, the watercress was removed from the pond bottom. Subsequently, native natural enemies of the invasive plant were planted. This reduces the watercress's chances of spreading to the surrounding nature. This is an experiment by the City of Hasselt and the Bio-Research research center at PXL University of Applied Sciences, but to date, it does not appear to be sufficient.