's Gravenwezel

In 's Gravenwezel, chic villa districts reveal that the income there is a lot higher than the Flemish average. But centuries ago, rich people also liked to go to this green belt around Antwerp. You will discover that along this walk. You will discover a handful of smaller and large castles.

1. 1.Appointment at the St. Catherine's Church in the village of 's Gravenwezel. Walk to the left and cross the street at the traffic lights. Walk into the street called Oudaen. Past the Sacred Heart of Mary Institute, step diagonally right through a gate and follow a narrow path. You step past a small farm. At the next junction, at junction 29, continue straight ahead following the wire fence next to Kerkweg, towards junction 25. On the T, follow the drive to the left, towards junction 25. Then continue straight on until the end of the road where you turn right, towards junction 25. On the right you see the buildings of G.O., the education network of the Flemish Community and on the left what remains of the 's Gravenhof (1783). At the end, at junction 25, take a left, towards junction 24. You walk straight along junctions 24 and 23 until the concrete turns into a dirt road, which turns right at junction 22. Take a left here, towards junction 19, the Nieuwe Krommedreef, a footpath along domain La Garenne (500 ha). The owner breeds wild boars and deer. Follow the path, between two ponds, through the forest and at the fork with a viewing platform take the right, towards junction 19. You arrive at the anti-tank channel at junction 19 and take a left, towards junction 15. At the first opportunity, at junction 15, cross the canal and take a narrow forest path straight on the other side, which takes you to the St.-Jobsteenweg. Follow this beautiful beech drive to the left. Just before the black-yellow-red sign 'Sint-Job-in't-Goor' take the narrow forest path, direction junction 40. You walk past a huge sports complex with tennis and squash facilities, football fields, cricket grounds and a riding school. You can also see a beautiful, centuries-old beech tree. After the riding school you walk straight ahead, towards junction 40. At a villa you come to asphalt. Follow this road until you reach Koeistraat, junction 40. In the yard of the farm on the left rises the Klein Schijn. Here you turn right, direction junction 14. You walk through a beautiful beech drive with a paved bike path in the middle. Where that path turns to the right, towards junction 14, you do not follow but step left into the golf course of Rinkven.
2. You are not allowed to enter the first path immediately on the left, but a little further you take the wide lane on the left that you follow to the end. You are now standing in front of the Zwanebeek. Take the narrow, sandy path next to the stream on the right until you reach a fence. Turn right and always straight ahead now, first through the woods, then between the greens and the tees. You get to the anti-tank channel, cross it and you are at junction 20. Turn left towards junction 38. After a bunker, at junction 38, take the Ketelstraat on the right, actually no more than a narrow path along the Hofbeek, towards junction 34. The path curves to the right. Ignore a street on the right and you will arrive at the St.-Jobsteenweg, which you follow to the left. After 200 m, at junction 34, take the Catersstraatje on the right, direction junction 27. You walk along the park of Castle Catershof (17th century). At junction 27 you continue straight ahead, towards junction 25 and where the wide road turns to the right, take the narrow path on the left, forbidden for riders. . Earlier you were already close to here.
3. Follow the path along the fence to the left, towards junction 32, and at the junction after the school, take the road on the left, towards junction 32. At junction 32 you come to a busy lane and you follow it to the left, towards junction 33. After a few hundred meters on the left are two 18th-century houses with yellow-blue shutters and on the right an old blacksmith shop with hoof stable. Do not be tempted by the forest road right next to the blacksmith's shop, but take the sloping path a few meters further to the right, which is forbidden for riders. It takes you through the forest to junction 33 on an asphalt road. Cross it, towards junction 36, and on the other side follow the path that leads you first past the Duyvendaelhoeve, then along the moat of the Groot Kasteel (17th century). Walk past the entrance (junction 36) and continue to follow the ditch, towards junction 37, even if it turns right. Keep walking straight on until you reach the Schildewandelpad. The hofgracht turns right again. You go straight ahead, past an idyllic cottage. On the T, turn right, direction junction 37. The path narrows and you arrive at a back entrance of the Great Castle. Cross the lane and follow the path on the other side, towards junction 44. You come to a square. Walk straight ahead, towards junction 44, between the villas until you can turn right, towards junction 44. Then take the first street on the left, towards junction 44. Where it becomes one-way traffic, at junction 44, the walk goes straight ahead, but first go 50 m into the Molenakker, there is the Molenhoeve (18th century). Then cross the road to Schilde and follow the Dreef van Hertebos on the other side until the end. On the T turn left and at the first intersection turn right, until you reach the church.