3 loops in Three Fountains, middle loop (3,1km)

This is the middle loop that is addressed second in the '3 loops in Drie Fonteinen' (10km) in the route list of 'Vilvoorde sportive'; She is about 3.1 km long and runs clockwise.

The departure and arrival point is located on the southern corner of the athletics/voutball stand with the parking lot against the Zeekanaal, just south of the Vredesbrug.

It is suitable for walkers, runners and cyclists.

Detailed description with sights of this loop (See the POIs after enlargement of the map): Lenterikkapel, many large old trees, beautiful panoramas over grassy plains and (wide) avenues, Hollow Roads that are visibly hidden in the depths of the forest,

Route: Keep the grandstand of the athletics track on your right and the further low buildings on your left. You end up at the same triple jump at the beginning of your first loop. Now you take the second one on the right, just to the left of the stairs: steep paved road to the highest football square. When you notice the exit wire on your left, do NOT take the right turn - visually towards Lenterikkapel-, but leave this path before the turn to the LEFT: exit fence. After 5 meters you come outside the fence and take the T immediately right up outside the fence, direction Lenterikkapel. At the top you leave the Lenterikkapel and follow the 30m outside fence of the football square. A little further from the fence there is a fork in the forest path, take there to the right so that you seem to end up on the Holle Weg. 10m before that you come to a T where you take the forest path on the left (parallel to the Hollow Roads on your right. You arrive at the inside of the dilapidated Tower Buildings after which the path is paved. On the left you follow the immense grass meadow with several large old trees on the paved path. Keep following this paved path at a crossroads on the right until past a pedestrian bridge over the Holle Blaesenbergweg on your right (on the left you have the wide tree avenue, on the right on the horizon there was a Castle, now there are the VTM buildings).
Past this bridge you come to a crossroads where you take the right (unpaved forest path). Via a large bend this path comes parallel to the Great Ring which you no longer cross but keep to the right.
A little further this path moves away from the Ring and it ends up at a T with a paved (cinder) path: take right there.
You come down to the wide tree avenue and you keep the raised stone stage on your left (turn left behind the stage, towards French Garden). You leave the French Garden to the left and you take the paved road to the right of it; Keep following it on an asphalt road (which dead ends on the left). After this asphalt road you continue straight ahead (small path joins on the left, then a Y-junction that you take on the right). After this Y, take the paved path to the right in the descent (50m before you end up on the large grass meadow). Follow this paved path (Ganzenvoetweg) in a bend to a clearing with panoramic views on your left (so do not take the unpaved Brugweg down into the forest on the left). In the bend of this grassy plain you take a small path on the left steeply down that leads directly to the low-lying ponds. At these ponds you take a moment on the right and immediately on the left: you follow the pond just on your right.
At the end of this pond you keep the covered tennis building on your right (on the left you have an open tennis court): you follow this path between both tennis courts until the exit to the car park, where this loop ends at your starting point.

Although this park zone is located on the Zeekanaal and the Senne, the paths are regularly sloping: on this side of the canal begins the Heuvelland of 'Grim mountains', and you will have known: You have to take into account a height difference of about 52m per loop.

The park zone between the forests is largely laid out in English landscape style, so you can enjoy spacious views between the forests over grass squares and bomb avenues. The largest of these tree avenues ended in the north view on a (now no longer existing) castle, where the VTM is currently located.

You can find more about the History of this domain here: http://www.vilvoorde.be/product.aspx?id=673
Did you know, for example, that on the south side of this Park there used to be a lock complex for the ships on the Zeekanaal (then the Willebroeksevaart)? (http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeekanaal_Brussel-Schelde , and http://www.brussel.be/artdet.cfm/7508 )).