Cycling through Hoge Kempen National Park and Oud-Rekem

Meet on the square in front of the church of Gellik in the Kerkstraat. You leave with the church on your right, direction KP 62. Turn left into the Biesweg and climb up past primary school 't Bieske and the academy. Ignore all side streets. After a left-right nod, you continue cycling through the Zilverdennenlaan. At a square it turns to the left. You cycle straight into the forest and meander along a bike path and past a picnic area. When you come out of the forest, you cycle into the Beekeeperstraat. At the end, follow the Hertenstraat to the right and you are between meadows and through a forest. At the T-junction turn left, past a picnic area. You come back to civilization and reach FP 62.

Cross the busy N77 via the bicycle lock and continue on the cycle path to the left, towards KP 550. Ignore the side roads until you can cycle diagonally right into the Kantoorstraat. At the fork you continue to follow the Kantoorstraat with a left-right nod and you cycle through a residential neighborhood. At the end of the Kantoorstraat turn left into the Hoogputstraat. Just along the edge of the forest and meadows and after the first houses turn right into the Boogstraat. Then the first street on the right, the Graafgracht. Turn left with this road and continue cycling to the intersection with the Heiwijkerweg. Follow it to the right. You cycle along a comfortable cycle path, which in the beginning is lined with stones in metal cages.

Then it continues over a military domain with a reserve airbase of NATO (left) and FN Herstal Zutendaal (right) and through the forests of Hoge Kempen National Park. The bike path moves a bit away from the traffic road, but remains nearby. Then a surprise awaits you. Attention! On KP 550, a sign states that KP 551 is not accessible and the signage has been removed. You can still reach KP 551, but this route was temporarily removed from the cycling network because there is a dangerous crossing, especially with children. The route will be optimized and the dangerous crossing will be adjusted. The new route will be opened in the spring of 2017. From then on you can simply follow the signage from KP 550 to KP 551. Because we want to admire the Mechelen Heath in bloom (August, September) during this tour, we still cycle to KP 551. For people with children, we propose a shortening so that you do not have to pass the dangerous crossing point. The tour will then be 4.5 km shorter. Shortening: avoid a dangerous crossing Bicycle on KP 550 straight ahead, direction KP 61. Cross the Weg to Zutendaal further on and continue cycling through the source area of the Kikbeek. On the left you see a large puddle. From 1961 to 2001 it was a sand quarry. Past a picnic area, you begin a 10% descent. You bolt along the cross circuit Duivelsberg and parallel to the Road to Zutendaal. Then you go back into nature and cycle past weekend stays, dog schools and a fishing pond to KP 61. There you pick up back on the big route. Full tour: the Mechelse Heide Bike on KP 550 turn left until the Road to Zutendaal. Follow it 400 meters to the right. The road gets a central reservation and in the bend you turn left. A road sign prohibits turning left. You can get around this by carefully crossing with the bike by hand. Then you do not turn left but cross the road as a pedestrian. Cycle on the other side between boulders and next to a barrier onto the cycle path and cross the E314 further on. Then you cycle downhill into the Mechelse Heide. You bolt again between boulders and continue cycling on a wide concrete road through the heath. When it is in bloom, the view here is beautiful.

At the T-junction, you will arrive at KP 551 and turn right towards KP 60. You cycle along an undulating cycle path that is sometimes higher than the busy roadway. After 2 kilometers you will pass under a bridge for cyclists and you will arrive at KP 60. Turn right, past the car park and the entrance gate of the Mechelse Heide, direction KP 61. Where a hiking trail enters the sand dunes and heathland, you dive left with the cycle path into the forest. After a left turn, you continue under the E314 and cycle parallel to it. Then you turn right into a forest road and you arrive at the parking lot of the recreation resort Kikmolen that is located on the Kikmolenvijver. Continue straight until the first intersection and turn right until you reach the Sint-Jozef Werkmankerk from 1961 with KP 61.

Continue straight ahead, direction KP 63. Cross the Road to Zutendaal and follow the Oude Baan between separate buildings until the end. Continue cycling along the cycle path through the fields and along the Aspermansvijver and the Public Psychiatric Care Centre Rekem to the T-junction. Follow the Daalbroekstraat on the cycle path to the right until KP 63. Cross the roadway and cycle into Heidestraat, direction KP 140. You bolt along a bike path that is closed off from the roadway with one-way traffic coming from the other side. A beautiful crucifix on the edge of the forest brings you to KP 140. Continue straight ahead, direction KP 58. At Sunclass Sonnevijver, the separate cycle path and the one-way traffic stop. Most beautiful village in Flanders Continue cycling along the agglomeration sign of Rekem to the busy stone road on Lanaken. Cross it with the help of the traffic lights and turn immediately right into the Heirbaan. Follow it until you can turn left into a concrete path for cyclists and pedestrians. The path turns into the Veldstraat and at a chapel it becomes the Hilarion Thanslaan. Follow this street until the intersection with Populierenlaan. Cross it and continue cycling through St. Peter's. Then turn right onto the first street, which is also called Saint Peter. You cycle past the Paterskerk (1708) into the Paterstraat. With flower boxes, through traffic is made impossible and you come to Oud-Rekem, which was voted the most beautiful village in Flanders in 2008.

Next to tavern De Sjilder you turn left into a street and you come to the idyllic Groenplaats with the Sint-Pieterskerkje, In de Bleick and 't Poortgebouw with the Reckheimer in front. Cross the square and cycle right past 't Oud Gerechtshof and Onder de Linden to the intersection with Herenstraat and Kanaalstraat. Straight ahead, Old God in. You bolt past the Post house and In the Old God and through the Ucover gate to the canal and KP 58. From this place you have a beautiful view of the castle d'Aspremont-Lynden. Follow the towpath to the right towards KP 559. You bolt under the bridge and continue cycling along a swinging bowl with the Sibelco installations on the other side. Further on you will go under the Neerharen bridge and you will arrive at KP 559 at brasserie Op de Hogt, located on a barge. Continue straight ahead, towards KP 54. A little further on, the waterway splits. The Zuid-Willemsvaart continues diagonally to the left, diagonally to the right it becomes the Verbindingsvaart and you follow it from now on.
Just before the lock of Neerharen you come to KP 54. Choose diagonally right, direction KP 131. Climb up next to the lock and a bunker and continue cycling along the towpath. You cycle past the installations of CBR Beton H. Keulen and a swinging bowl. Then you go under a bridge. On KP 131 you cycle straight ahead, towards KP 558. You bolt parallel to the busy Europalaan with Lanaken behind it. Cycle again under a bridge and a little further under a bridge for cyclists and pedestrians through and past a lock. Then you come between the industrial zones Sappi and Aan de Sluis at the Briegdendok, which flows into the Albert canal. Take the Montaigneweg on the right and cycle past the Sappi 2 industrial zone until the T-junction. Turn right until you reach the busy Tongersesteenweg. Cross it carefully and follow the cycle path to the left until you reach KP 558. Continue straight ahead, direction KP 65, past the agglomeration sign of Rekem and then left into Boonakkerstraat. Through traffic is made impossible by two flower boxes along the way. At the end of the Boonakkerstraat turn right, direction church of Rekem. At the T-junction you follow the Dorpstraat to the left and climb past a chapel to village café In de Oude Hoeve. Turn right and you are back on the square at the church of Rekem where you started.