Zoerselbos, a winning ticket

Grassland, meadows, heathland and forest. Zoerselbos owes it all to hard monk's work. And there is the Boshuisje of course, a magnet for walkers and cyclists looking for a summer terrace.

The Boshuisje van Zoersel is an old farmhouse, today a restaurant with a spacious outdoor terrace. If the stories are to be believed, Hendrik Conscience not only picked up the material for De loteling here, he also wrote about it here. You know, that socially moving novel about a farmer's son who exchanges his free fate for a fee with the bad fate of a rich young man and still goes to war. The Zoerselbos itself is a unique piece of nature in a Kempen stream valley. For 250 years, monks from the St. Bernard Abbey of Hemiksem managed the site. They designed a sophisticated system for water management. They let the streams burst their banks at appropriate times and used the silt to make the soils fertile. Add to that a few landscaped fish ponds – Friday fishing day, isn't it – and you get a varied cultivated land, complemented by softwood and oak next to grass and heather. It can be soggy.

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Walk from the car park at Boshuisweg 2 in Zoersel (V) ◄ to the Boshuisje (1) and walking junction (KP) 20. ▲ to FP 48 with picnic bench and tree chapel (2). Follow KPn 21 – 30 – 33 along the Hooidonkse Beemden and then over a wide sandy path for walkers, cyclists and riders to KP 53 with a covered picnic bench. ► and initially on asphalt via FP 22 to FP 23. ◄ towards FP 29. After 500 m, at a crossroads with on the left an old farm with red and white shutters and a large sign 'private domain' ► along Monnikenheide, a center for people with intellectual disabilities. At the information board Doezelbos (3) ▲ along the feel boxes to the horse stable. ◄ the car park over and near the asphalt ►. Immediately turn towards KP 45. Further on ◄ up the sandy path to KP 45. ▲ past the tree chapel of Our Lady of Grace Torendreef (4) and towards KP 49. 200 m past the chapel the path bends to the left. At the asphalt ► towards KP 49, but at the KLJ room and basketball court ▲ to the N14. ► on the footpath and after 300 m ► Front Hoeven in to FP 46. You will pass the chapel of Our Lady of Fatima (5) and the protected Front Hooves (6). ◄ towards FP 44. At the Gemeentebos ► on a wide sandy path. At the tree chapel of Our Lady of Grace Jagersdreef (7) ◄ and in a wide bend past the stately castle Zoerselhof (8) to KP 44. ▲ on asphalt past the chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary (9) towards KP 52. Follow a piece of forest road and at the end of it again asphalt where you have to pass a row of chic villas. At the Groot Boshuis (10) you are equal to FP 52. ▲ to 51. ► towards FP 24. The path along the meadows on the left becomes very soggy here. At the end ► along very deep tractor tracks to FP 24. ◄ to FP 41 and again ◄ to FP 20. Along the way you can go two ways for FP 20. ▲ is the shortest way to the Forest House.