Trouser loop between Barebeek and Zenne

This loop of 11.2 km long takes you on the east side of Weerde, east of the E19, along various green and nature reserves between the Barebeek and the Senne. These areas are currently little known and accessible. The special thing about this Broeken loop is that it addresses all currently passable green areas that are in the immediate vicinity of the place where both watercourses are closest to each other. Because the Barebeek belongs to the Dijle basin (flows into the Dijle north of Planckendaal), this is a unique walk along the east side of the E19.

The Pants loop consists of three parts:
1. VRIEZENBROEK (under fantastic management of Natuurpunt):
It departs from Hofstade at the parking lot of the BLOSO swimming pool, close to the Hofstade train station.
First, the railway bed is followed in a westerly direction, and over the Barebeek the Vriezenbroek is first crossed as long as possible. For this, you can even cross the Broekstraat to admire the Senne from the Barebeek (a staircase takes you over the fence, and diect after the bicht you can descend to admire the deep Senne. A little further you have a closing door to go back to the Broekstrat on the west side of the field and discover the Vriezenbroek along a kwasie unknown road.)
On the Schumanlaan, the new crossing is taken and the Geuzenhoek district goes south over the Tervuursesteenweg.

2. Ter Borcht and GEUZENHOEK:
Via the recently restored Walemskasteelvoetweg, the green zone along the Domein ter Borcht and the old Castle Diependaal - currently a restaurant - is addressed. At the tennis courts there is a drinking facility during opening hours.
Then we cross the Tervuursesteenweg again to stay in the Geuzenhoek as much as possible along the Barebeek. A little further a Roman stone road ran between Tienen and Asse - currently the Heirweg - (on the Tongeren-Bonen connection, see http://www.dezemstenaar.com/ARCHIEF/zemstenaar%2052%20-%20april.pdf page 7, http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heirbaan_Tongeren-Bonen, http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Via_Belgica, http://www.megalitica.be/halvestn/banen.htm ), through which several remains of a Gallo-Roman settlement were found. In the period when the Senne regularly flooded the entire area of Weerde (a 'weerde' is a sandy elevation in swamp or flood area along a watercourse), there was already a Gallo-Roman activity in this part of Elewijt on this right bank of the Barebeek (just east of the Senne basin). That is why a short loop is made over this zone (a former non-zonal campsite is cut here along the Barebeek.)
Also read the group information 'Weerde' for additional references and facts.

3. HAEYENHOFF:
Then the Schumanlaan is crossed again and the trip starts along the banks of the Senne. Here few exploited paths are followed, which were frequently used before the construction of the E19. First, we go as much as possible along the left bank of the Senne. Under the railway line, the Senne is not crossed from the old pedestrian bridge, but the railway line towards Weerde and E19 is briefly followed, and is turned right across the railway line in the forest north of the railway line. According to the Ferraris map, this zone (pants?) is the western part of the Haeyenhoff domain (Gulderij-Heidetraat), now cut by the E19. Natuurpunt Zemst informed us that this part between the Senne and the E19 used to be a tree nursery of the municipality, with access via the E19. In this forest you regularly have cross paths that you do not take. At the end it bends left, and through an old gate you come to the E19 (the old access road to the tree nursery from the E19?) where the Senne crosses. Along the guardrails you can safely cross the Senne and immediately follow the right bank of the Senne along a forest path. At the end of this grove we follow the Zenneoever along an open field and come back to the very old Broekstraat (not paved here, and we take right between the Senne and the Barebeek back to the railway line. At the place where the Senne touches the Broekstraat closest on the right, you have the Barebeek on the left, so we have the unique location here where the Senne basin and the Dijle basin are less than a stone's throw from each other: Unique for both basins!
We continue the Broekstraat to the railway bed, take the left (the eastern) towards Barebeek. On the Barebeek back under the railway line and immediately right over the Barebeek and back to the starting point at the BLOSO swimming pool.

Info:
1. In case of an easterly wind, you will also be least bothered by the traffic noise on the E19.
2. Certain paths in the cut forests are sometimes overgrown by nettles and doren bushes after spring. It is therefore advisable to provide long trousers, and not to be put off by those few short but little maintained old forest paths!

Geuzenhof, Vriezenbroek and Haeyenhof: three unique green centres on the narrow Barebeek-Zenne zone east of the E19: an experience!