Between Herentals and Grobbendonk

If you want to discover one of the most picturesque places in Antwerp, this walk is a must. You follow the Kleine Nete in Grobbendonk for a long time until it merges with the Aa, where the still working water mill completes the picture. A little further on it is less idyllic due to the busier roads, but you soon go back into nature along the Mie Broospad, named after the Vorselaar herbalist. You walk through the Schupleer nature reserve.

1. With your back to the entrance of the Bloso sports centre (V), at the end of the Vorselaarsebaan in Herentals, you will find junction 5 of the Kempense Heuvelrug hiking network on the right. Take the wide gravel road on the right to junction 3 on the Kleine Nete and then turn right again, over a narrow path until junction 2. From that point you continue to follow the Kleine Nete for a long time, past the Peertsbos and between the meadows until junction 98, on the border with Vorselaar. Here you turn left, you cross the river, walk over a second bridge and turn right at junction 99 to junction 96 You follow the closure of a military base and at the first opening in the closure you can turn left for a while, to view the ruins of Priory Our Lady of the Throne (1). The buildings around it, together with the ruin, are protected as a village view.
2. Return to the road and continue walking along the Kleine Nete. At junction 96, take the Watermolenweg on the right to junction 95. You step past the Zwarte Vos farm on a winding asphalt road, which takes you to the confluence of the Kleine Nete and the Aa. This place is considered one of the most picturesque in the province of Antwerp. Walk past the watermill (2), which is still working. You don't get to see the wheel, that's covered. The watermill and the picturesque natural setting have been protected since 1962. At junction 95 you will arrive at the Grobbendonk-Vorselaar road, which you follow to the right. Stay on the right side of the track for a while. This brings you to the chapel of the Hofeinde and to the entrance drive of the hof van Grobbendonk. Cross the busy lane and continue walking along the narrow cycle path. After a hundred meters you can turn left into the Korentenbossen, to junction 93. Here you turn right to junction 92 and there you take the narrow path again on the right towards junction 51. Follow those directions and you'll get back to the busy track. Here on the left and then the first street on the right, the Dijkbaan. Follow it until you can turn right at junction 51 onto an unpaved field road to junction 50. You walk into the Schupleer nature reserve (4) that is maintained by Natuurpunt. Natuurpunt also supervised the reconstruction of an 18th century sheep shed. He was inaugurated by the authorities on 25 September 2011. Leave the site through the gate and you are back in the Dijkbaan, at junction 50. Turn right here, cross the Aa towards junction 94. You cross the Second and Third Brooks and you come to the fork at the chapel of the Heiken. Keep left here and right at the next fork a little further on. At junction 94, go straight on to junction 28. All roads here are called Heiken and are only accessible to local traffic. Follow the asphalt road through the forest to camping Ozon (5). Turn left in front of the campsite and walk through the forest to another asphalt road, also Heiken. Follow it to the right. It is a quiet road, although a sign warns for wietrenners. After all, the Flemish cycling school is located in the nearby Bloso sports centre. In the meantime, you walk again on the territory of Herentals. At junction 28, take the unpaved field road to junction 73 on the right. Back on the asphalt road from earlier turn left. Don't worry about side paths. Left fields, right forest. At junction 73 you step a little further and then you turn sharply left, to junction 97. You step through a beautiful beech drive. At the end, turn left and walk around a large meadow. Then you step back into the forest. At junction 97, turn right towards junction 5. But on the sloping cross road you leave that direction and follow a straight ahead another beautiful drive. The last part of it was recently planted. The path bends to the right, on the wide gravel road on the left and you are at the Pidpa domain Hidrodoe (6). Children can experiment with water here, but adults can also enrich their knowledge about water, water distribution and water purification. The entrance to the experiment hall is paid, but in the cafeteria you can order small dishes in addition to drinks and you can address your knapsack. Open every day except Wednesday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. From Hidrodoe you continue walking on asphalt towards junction 5 to the starting point.