The best dog-friendly hikes and walks around Hasselt

Extreme variety, from a sodden peat bog valley to the bone-dry sandy dunes on the heath, that is what the Valley of the Black Creek is known for. In the upper reaches, the creek meanders through the military domain “Kamp van Beverlo”. Here it has retained its natural meandering. That is why a rare fish species like the brook lamprey certainly feels at home here. The creek valley gradually transitions into the large heathland area: wet heath with bogs and dry heath with dunes. Only a few species of plants and animals can withstand the large temperature fluctuations, enormous drought, and very dynamic sand drifts. Between purple moor grass, rough haircap moss, and sea sandwort, sand beetles hunt small insects. Wheatears, pipits, and larks, in turn, try to outwit the fast sprinters.

The pond by the small stream in Korspel (Beringen) is a quiet and green spot located right next to a cycle path and walking trail. It is an ideal stop for hikers and cyclists to rest for a while.

The original flat heath landscape in Limburg changed its relief thoroughly when coal mining began. The coal that was brought up had to be separated from the unusable stones. For this, the coal was 'washed' and the waste was piled up. This is how the mine dumps were created. Today, the dump and its surroundings have been transformed into a nature reserve with a variety of flora and fauna.

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.