Essene and Asbeek

Meet on the church square of Essene, borough of Affligem, at the bronze statue of De Papeter (V). 'Papeters' is the historic and still cherished mocking name of the inhabitants of Essene. The easiest way to get there is via exit 19a Affligem on the A10/E40 Brussels-Ostend. Leave for Onze-Lieve-Vrouwbezoekingskerk and turn right from the church into Kerlemeers. The cobblestone road becomes gravel road and connects to an asphalt road. • Walk to the right and where the asphalt track turns to the right after 75 meters, go straight on a wide gravel road. At the end of the gravel road, walk straight on the narrow asphalt track, ignore the exit to the right after 50 meters and continue for 10 meters at the fork to the left in Kerlemeers. At the crossroads, cross the asphalt track after 400 meters and walk straight ahead, still in Kerlemeers. • The green on the left and right still looks wonderfully feral. The asphalt track becomes gravel road and then forest road, after 300 meters asphalt again and then turns slightly to the right. Turn left 30 metres further on, on a narrow concrete road, into Louwijn. The concrete road makes a wide right turn. You can now walk here in Asbeek, a hamlet of Asse. Ignore all side roads and turn left after 750 meters into the Moretteweg. The Moretteweg bends to the left and then to the right. • After 600 meters, just after and right next to house number 21, turn right on the wide cobblestone and then immediately straight on the field road. Turn left behind the pine trees and then after 50 meters to the right between field and fence, still on a field road. At the end of the field road, walk to the left on the wider gravel road. After 500 meters at the T-junction, turn right along the asphalt track. The road is clearly rising. Once at the top and after 500 meters, walk left and down on the cobblestone Platijn, towards Hof ten Eenhoorn. Ignore a wide field road on the left and the cobblestone track will take you after 650 meters to the Hof ten Eenhoorn 1. This court was founded in the sixteenth century, then under the old name Hof ten Enodekouter. It is now a restaurant--banquet hall and seminar room. • Leave Keierberg and Hof ten Eenhoorn on the right and walk further to the left in Platijn (also sign towards Kruisborre hiking trail). The cobblestone track will soon become a wide paved gravel road. After 150 meters at the fork, go straight ahead into the Dweerschen Broekkeweg (also sign Kruisborre hiking trail). The wide field road now becomes a narrow path. After 100 meters at the T-junction, walk to the left (still Dweerschen Broekkeweg) and 50 meters further at another fork to the left again. Nature here is refreshingly green near the Broekebeek. • The path takes you between field and wet grassland back to a wider field road. Go to the right here. After 150 meters, cross the asphalt track and walk straight on another wide field road. This first runs between the fields and then along a beautiful wild roadside with, among other things, St. John's wort and grass bell. At the T-junction, turn left onto the single-lane concrete road. The concrete road quickly becomes asphalt and takes you to a cobblestone track after 550 meters. Go right and up here. At the top of the T-junction, walk to the left on the asphalt into Neerheide. After 700 meters, just before and next to house number 103, turn left on a wide earth road and then after 250 meters turn right, also on a wide earth road. Here you leave Asbeek and on the left in front of you you can already see the church tower of Essene. After 800 meters, the field road becomes asphalt. On the right you have the cemetery and on the left a beautiful Mariakapelletje 2. Now straight ahead along the asphalt towards the village church. To the right of the church, behind the long blind wall, is the former presbytery of Essene, built in 1758 by the Abbey of Affligem and protected as a monument in 1975. A little further you are back at De Papeter.