The Hoge Rielen

From Kasterlee, you don't have to drive far to get there. After barely 5 minutes of cycling, I stand at the edge of the large forest of the Hoge Rielen. On this former military domain stand about thirty identical ammunition sheds that have been used since 1977 as group accommodation. Many a Fleming has already come here for camp or reflection. In 2004, the Italian architects Secchi-Viganò created a master plan for the entire area in collaboration with the Flemish Government Architect (the domain is owned by the Flemish government). Thanks to that long-term vision, there is now also attention for the historical, ecological, and educational value of the domain. And that is also reflected in the architecture. Over the past two decades, thanks to a series of architecture competitions, about fifteen sheds have been successfully restored with respect for the military past of the site.

The accommodation buildings and camping sites are connected by a network of roads and sandy paths. Running through the entire site is the 'middenweg', a paved central road that is also accessible only to cyclists and pedestrians. It is twice as wide as the other roads and serves as the backbone of the area. It is this road that I am now taking, as the reception of the Hoge Rielen is all the way on the other side of the forest.

De Standaard