Station As - red - 16.2 km

This walk leads through forests and via an attractive small-scale agricultural landscape to the Bosbeek Valley and the Rouwmortelven and the access gate of Station As. For years, Station As played a central role in the coal mining of this region, as from here many miners and coal trucks left for the nearby mines in Eisden, Waterschei, and Winterslag. The geological wall, located in a former quarry, gives you a glimpse into the formation history of the Hoge Kempen. From an 8.5-meter-high stair tower, you can view the wall at various levels. At the top, you stand at the original level, before there was a quarry. Heading towards the northern part of the loop, you pass the Bosbeek. The Bosbeek springs at the border of As and Genk. It forms the boundary between As and Opglabbeek, a district of Oudsbergen, over a distance of 2.5 km. The Bosbeek then flows through Opoeteren and Neeroeteren to eventually empty into the Meuse in Aldeneik (near Maaseik). The Bosbeek has a significant drop, making it particularly suitable for water mills. The Theunissen Mill is one of the 12 mills on the Bosbeek. You also pass the Rouwmortelven. This beautiful heath pond is a chosen spot for plants of the 'wet heath': cotton grass, heather, and the carnivorous sundew. It is a habitat for dragonflies and amphibians, including several very rare species (heath frog, crested newt, marsh white-faced dragonfly).