Through the Kalmthoutse Heide

Appointment at the parking lot of Natuureducatiecentrum De Vroente V (*)

Those who opt for the big tour (11 km) should put on boots, because part of the path is often gone. For the short trip (8.5 km) sturdy walking shoes are sufficient. Both tours are partly forbidden for dogs, even on a leash.

Cross the Putsesteenweg and walk straight ahead, away from the car park. After 200 m turn left. After 5 m you follow walks Libel and Schaap on the right. You walk up to the Putse Moer. At this fen, walk Bos turns right. You will continue to follow Libel and Schaap. Continue walking through the heath and at the fork where the Libel walk goes straight ahead, turn left and follow Schaap. You step into a grove and almost immediately see a sandy plain on the right. Leave the Schaap hiking trail here and walk across the sandy plain to the pole with signage and the stairs, which you need to climb over the electric fence.

Now you follow a 'connecting path', indicated by white soles, over the Hazenduinen. Here you can enjoy a beautiful heathland landscape with dunes and a 360° panorama. You end up on a wider dirt road and turn left here. You follow walk Schaap again and also walk Dune and a GR path. After 100 meters turn left. Now you only follow walk Schaap. Ignore a connecting path on the left and continue walking through the undulating moorland. In the pieces of forest you can see Galloway cattle grazing. Sheep can be seen in the open landscape. You come to a wide dirt road. On the right it is forbidden, so follow your walk Schaap to the left. After a large arch to the right, you step past a rest bench and descend between some birch trees to a cross road. 1

From here you can choose the short or the long walk.

- For the shortening , turn right. You follow the connecting path over the Kambuus dunes. Past the electric fence with transfer you will pass the Langven. This fen can sometimes run on the hiking trail, but you have plenty of diversion options to pass it 'dry'. At the end of the connecting path you are on the Wilgenduinen and on a cross road, where walk Duin and a GR path pass by. At this point, the shortening ties in with the big trip. Turn right here. 2

- Either you choose the big tour and the 'adventure' with the boots. You follow the Schaap hiking trail a hundred meters to the left and then take the first wide connecting path on the right (also GR path) at the post "fire brigade 18". A little further you leave the grazing area through a swinging door, next to a game grid. Keep walking, follow walk Salamander to the right, through the open moorland. The dead trees are remnants of the great heath fire in 1996. The path touches a field for a moment and then you come to a fork. Keep right (Salamander goes to the left here) and step through the folding gate again into the grazing area. Keep walking straight until you reach an intersection. Choose the connection path on the right (attention: this path is closed from 15/3 to 30/6 then follow ** ). You now follow a rough grass road and you walk along the Drielingvennen. Here you almost always need boots, because the fen often runs on the grass road. You can't escape (***)! On the left is the fen, on the right a wire fence. You step over an electric fence via a staircase and continue walking along the grass path until you reach a game grid. Just before you turn right, follow the walking path Duin. A little further on, the shortened walk connects to this path.

Follow the Duin hiking trail to the Putsesteenweg and the parking lot. You step over the Wilgenduinen and the Vossenbergen on the way. Ignore the paths you turned off and came out of earlier. After a game grid with sasje and swinging door you come to a crossroads. If you want to climb the watchtower 3, after the 2nd game grid on the quadruple jump, you first turn left.

(*) NEC De Vroente Putsesteenweg 129 2920 Kalmthout
Phone: 03 620 18 30 devroente@lne.vlaanderen.be

Note: the car park is often very busy during WE's and days off. Parking is also possible at SNCB station Kalmthout Heide. From there you can walk via G. Gezellelaan through the forest to V (1.5 km)

(**) then walk straight on to the asphalt road, then turn right until after about 1 km you can turn right again into the heath over the wildlife grid, follow the Dune hiking trail there.

(***) If it is really too 'drowned', you return to the connecting road you left. Follow it to the right until you reach an asphalt road. Turn right until after about 1 km you can turn right again into the heath over the game grid, follow the Dune hiking trail.