Top 20 Lakes around Hoegaarden

The exploitation of the Opprebais quarry began during the construction of the Namur-Louvain road around 1755, under the impetus of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria: quartzite was extracted there, a very hard stone mainly used for making paving stones but still present in its natural state in certain areas of the municipality. Some parts of the Opprebais castle-farm are built with quartzite rubble stones. Production stopped for the first time and, in 1935, the quarry was flooded. Activity resumed from 1958 to 1975. The lake, fed by groundwater, is surrounded by rock faces and vegetation. Owned by the Société Wallonne Des Eaux, the quarry is closed to the public: access to the water and swimming are prohibited: the site had to be fenced off to prevent any intrusion as the place is dangerous due to its depth (up to 30m), the water temperature (risk of thermal shock) and the presence of rocks. The place is also known to diving clubs. A path, enhanced by a fitness trail, allows you to walk around it.

The pond, which has been there for years, has a small wooden platform for those who are interested, and is located near the small bridge over the stream once you've descended the paths leading to the higher village center. You are now at the same altitude as the road to Aarschot and can walk around the pond, which is connected to the meadows by the path. The Rozendaalbeek is a tiny stream that rises just outside Tienen on the northwest side in two amphitheater-shaped slopes. After just a few hundred meters, the two separate branches meet and together form the Roosdaalbeek, which is indicated on maps as the "Vlietende beek" (Flying Brook). Typical of the Rozendaalbeekvallei nature reserve is its secluded location between the two parishes of Vissenaken. Yet, you hardly notice this as you walk through the valley. The wet grasslands furthest downstream between Metselstraat and Hymelinusstraat, which were purchased first, are the most visible. The other plots are less well-known because they offer less visibility. Source and much more at http://www.velpe-mene.be/tienen/rozendaalbeekvallei.htm

Where water and reeds feel connected...

The description is very accurate. Thank you.

beautiful pond, surrounded by willows and reeds

beautiful pond, surrounded by willows and reeds

Always very pleasant to walk/run in this beautiful park

Rebuilt eclectic country house designed in 1916 by architect Chrétien Veraart and surrounded by a park in landscape style, approximately 16 hectares, laid out from 1859; numerous old (sweet chestnuts and brown beeches) and rare trees. First, the Hof te Laar stood here, known since the fifteenth century as a leasehold farm of the monastery of Gempe. In 1789, it was sold to the son of the Baron van Roosbeek. Between 1800 and 1810, the Hof te Laar was purchased by Charles-Lambert-Joseph de Maurissens. He left it to his nephew, knight Edouard Godefroid de Maurissens (1793-1853). And a few years after his death, the south wing of the court was converted into a "castle". After WWII, the then owners left the castle domain and in 1948 the heirs sold the castle and park to the University of Leuven to build a 'sanatorium' (clinic for tuberculosis sufferers) on the edge of the park. Inventory of Immovable Heritage: Domain de Maurissens, https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/303094