Warmbeek Valley - green - 2.0 km

Start your adventure with a short walking route in the shadow of the historic Trappist abbey 'Achelse Kluis'. Visit the visitor center to learn all about De Kluis and its surroundings. The green walking route takes you along the picturesque Warmbeek through green meadows and brings you back via a beautiful chestnut avenue, where bats have their nesting places.

The Valley of the Warmbeek
The Warmbeek springs twenty kilometers to the south in the municipality of Peer. At Sint-Huibrechts-Lille, it flows under the Bocholt-Herentals canal. On the territory of Hamont-Achel, the Warmbeek flows for just over 8 km and has a drop of 9 meters here. Upon crossing the Dutch border, its name changes to Tongelreep, and it eventually flows into the Dommel at the Genneper Parken in Eindhoven.
In the past, the meanders of the Warmbeek near the Achelse Kluis were straightened, diked, and dammed to drain the water more quickly to the north. Thanks to the re-meandering, this area now functions again as a water buffer, where the river is allowed to overflow during high water levels.
Between the Tomp and the Mulke, the riverbed was diverted for the construction of a mill pond of about 7 hectares, which guaranteed the operation of the watermill in dry periods.
In 2015, fish ladders were built at the former watermill the Mulke, allowing fish to swim upstream to their spawning grounds again. Upstream of the fish ladder, a 'spawning riffle' was also created, an ideal spawning ground for rare stream fish like the bullhead and the brook lamprey.
Experience the rich history and beautiful nature of the Valley of the Warmbeek!