Baumgartenroute

As the name of the route suggests, during this tour through the Hageland, you will primarily be able to enjoy the view of countless smaller and larger areas where fruit trees are cultivated. Almost half of the trees you will see along the way bear apples. About four out of ten trees will hopefully provide us with pears. The remaining ten percent are made up of plum, sour cherry, and cherry trees.
Especially after World War II, fruit cultivation here experienced a significant boom, mainly in low-stem fruit growing. The much more beautiful high-stem fruit trees rarely adorn this region in the east of the province of Vlaams-Brabant anymore. Fortunately, some can still be found in the sixty-year-old fruit plantation that belongs to the provincial area of Het Vinne.
As a charming enhancement of this landscape, some streams also flow through. Along the way, we get to know the Gete, the Velpe, and the Melsterbeek several times. Also hidden in this slightly hilly landscape are particularly picturesque corners, such as the area around the Rotemse Molen in Halen and the pleasant region of Het Vinne.
Until its drainage in 1841, Het Vinne was a natural lake that had formed in the broad river basin of the Kleine Gete. After this drainage, agriculture and peat extraction were carried out. In 1930, the 'Stekskesfabriek' Union Allumetière purchased this area. The fast-growing poplars planted there were used for the production of matches and also fruit crates.
In 1974, Het Vinne was bought by the then provincial administration. This turned it into a nature reserve with semi-natural vegetation. In the years 2004 and 2005, the lake in Het Vinne was restored to its natural state, making it the largest natural lake in Flanders again, covering an area of 130 hectares. Het Vinne has even more to offer, but you might want to save that until you have a few kilometers behind you.