Ransberg and the Roelbeek

The starting point is visible from afar: the church of Ransberg (V), part of Kortenaken and a well-known beacon in the heart of Hageland. The cemetery behind it offers views over the Velpedal to the north. From the church you walk to the second signalman on the ridge, the water tower, 150 m further east. There you take the path on the right that runs past the tower, towards castle of A Speculo 1. The eponymous hiking trail does the same, you can follow the signs for a while. You don't get to see much of the white castle from 1866 because of the wooded park around it. At the intersection with entrance gate, walk straight ahead. Via a lushly vegetated hollow road you descend next to the estate. Also at the only house on the way you walk straight ahead, until you come to a T: here to the right. The path takes you to the concrete of the Groothuisstraat, which you continue to follow straight ahead. The A Speculo hiking trail from earlier soon turns right, but you keep walking straight ahead, until you come back to a T at a large fruit growing company. You turn left into Kapelstraat. The Hageland is a fruit country, apples and pears everywhere, with jonagold and conférence as star products respectively. In recent years, there has been a shift in fruit cultivation. Plums and peaches are barely mentioned, strawberries, cherries and (wine) grapes are experiencing a revival. In spring this is a delicious blossom trip. At the next T turn left again, into the Shopping Street. Now you walk in the wide, fertile valley of the Roelbeek. Sparsely built, with a wealth of open space and some large farms. Here on the valley loam soils you see less fruit, but more field and pasture and the inevitable poplars, planted against too wet soils. Always follow the Shopping Street, ignore side branches. At a chapel with Maria grotto, where the concrete ribbon bends to the right, you walk into Budingen (Zoutleeuw). At a second, picturesque field chapel 2 with two niches you leave the concrete by continuing to walk straight onto the gravel road. That's the Winnekot way. It opens into the bend of the Jodenstraat. You turn right, walk over the Roelbeek and end up on the Heerbaan: turn left here. Attention, the Heerbaan swings to the left behind a fenced grove and seems to leave the main road, you swing along. At a dog boarding house you cross the Roelstraat and you stay on the Heerbaan. Again, ignore all side roads. On the left are the striking buildings of the NV Biofer 3. This company produces biogas by fermenting manure and organic waste, after which the gas is converted into green electricity. An implantation for which the local residents pick up their noses somewhat scornfully, because of the odor nuisance on some days. At the Hulstbergstraat you always walk straight ahead. The next intersection is a five-jump, where you turn left. This rising concrete road forms the border between Zoutleeuw and Geetbets, hence the two names: Halstraat (right) and Hogenstraat (left). At the fork, keep left. At the modernist church of Hogen 4 you walk diagonally straight ahead. In the next long bend, at a symbolic apple and pear in stacked clinkers, you leave the roadway via the cobblestones, straight ahead. You rise between the apples and pears to the ridge, which forms the separation between the Velpe and Gete basins. Turn left at the top of the intersection. At the next intersection, make a zigzag right/ left and choose ketelstraat. It offers a few Hageland panoramas to the north along the way. Stay on Ketelstraat until you turn left at right; there you leave them to the right. The Tien Bundersweg takes you straight to the Tienbundersbos and then dives into it with a double bend. This is a private plateau forest with a spacious villa in it. Two bends further you reach the first houses of the village bowl. Straight ahead into the Dorpsstraat and after 500 m you are back at the church.