The best running trails around Heusden-Zolder

Beautiful view of the castle

Brings back memories, of my grandparents when we came here for a walk on Sunday afternoons, of a - perhaps harder - but much simpler life that they used to lead. It really makes you think...

The summit of the Bolderberg has been awarded the "2-star landscape spot." Imagine yourself standing by the sea. Millions of years ago, it was! The Bolderberg, a "heritage hill," was once a sandbank left behind after the sea retreated. At 60 meters, the summit of the Bolderberg is among the highest peaks in Limburg. The Bolderberg is located in the Wijers region, where you'll find more than 1,000 ponds! These are fed by the Echelbeek and Laambeek streams. They make the region a valuable nature reserve for numerous bird species and other animals. From the star-studded spot, you can look out over the ponds and Terlaemen Castle. These ponds were created around the 13th century by the mining of iron sandstone. Later, they were used as fish breeding ponds by the abbeys of Herkenrode and Averbode.

In 2022, around 30 slow roads in Heusden-Zolder received nameplates. A brilliant move to raise awareness of the many unknown church paths, country lanes, and shortcuts to the general public. More walkers and cyclists passing along slow roads means more safe travel, less congestion, and a greater experience for users. And the slow roads themselves are less likely to become congested.

On the Bovy estate itself, there are three short themed walks for the whole family (preferably with kids). You can see them on the information board (see photos): a 1.7-kilometer "blue" walk called "Find Martin the Kingfisher," a 1-kilometer "red" walk called "The Hare Path," and the 2-kilometer "green" Wildplukpad (Wild Picking Trail).

For those who haven't been to the Bovy Domain in a while (or not yet), it reopened in September 2024 after a somewhat delayed renovation as the first gateway to the De Wijers nature reserve. You can read about this at https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2024/09/20/domein-bovy-klaar/ and see it in more and more recent photos.

Witness hill The Bolderberg and especially its origins were the subject of heated discussions within the geological community for more than a hundred years, but its geological history is now well known. Today, this hill is the reference or type location for what is known in stratigraphy (the study of the succession of the earth's layers) as the Bolderberg Formation. It consists of yellow to white very fine sand, mainly composed of quartz grains. When the sun reflects in the sand, thin flakes, mica sheets, light up. Fossil shells also occur in the sand in various places. All these sediments were deposited in a shallow sea about 20 million years ago. The first descriptions of the geological structure of the Bolderberg date from the second half of the 19th century. André Dumont Sr., the author of the first detailed geological map of Belgium, defined his Système Boldérien there. The bulk of the hill belongs to this Système Boldérien or the current Formation of Bolderberg. The top of the hill, separated from the underlying Sand of Bolderberg by a gravel of black and blue flint pebbles, is formed by the Sand of Diest. Typical for this 10 million year old sand package is the rusty brown color and the presence of iron sandstone banks, formerly frequently used as building stone in many important buildings. These iron sandstone banks are the weathering product of minuscule dark green round glauconite grains that occur in the sand. It is probably the cap of resistant rusty iron sandstone that has ensured that the underlying sand has not been washed away and the Bolderberg has remained as a witness hill. Source: https://www.hbvl.be/regio/limburg/heusden-zolder/de-bolderberg-belangrijk-limburgs-geologisch-erfgoed/32387063.html

Enjoy yourself to the fullest in the ‘kleine Wijers’. Park your car or bike at the entrance of Domein Bovy and explore the many walking routes over an area of around 56 football fields. You can really enjoy yourself here: stroll through the lush nature and end your walk with a refreshing drink in the atmospheric bistro or on the sunny terrace. Domein Bovy is a real play paradise for children. Wander along the Hare Path, go on a discovery tour of mythical creatures, romp around to your heart’s content in the playground, get to know our lovely animals or share your deepest secrets with the magical CosmoGolem? It’s all possible here. (VisitLimburg)