Zennetrail (Weerde-Zemst-Hombeek) (13,5km)

This trail through Weerde, Zemst and Hombeek is about 13.5 km long with several old paths and slow roads being cut.
This trail runs along the left bank of the Senne (Schom), and takes the path 'Waterken' which it also follows through the Senne. Before the existence of the king's car, this crossing was the only ford where local residents and farmers crossed the Senne on foot (at low tide) or by boat. This is one of the difficult points of the trail, and unsuitable for the mountain biker who wants to do this crossing on his bike.

This trail is a fantastic route on a natural history point: It also uses several old obsolete roads (Steenweg Zemst-Hofstade, ...) and it is also peppered with two recent sand accumulations along the E19.

This counterclockwise trail is located along the Senne and the E19 and consists of two loops that are connected to each other:
The 5.6km supply and exit plus starts at the North parking of the fish pit in Weerde, and uses as many unpaved and at times little used paths as possible. It is fairly flat, with marshy patches of sprawl here and there and a few pits. The difficult parts in this run-up section are:
1. 100m past the bend in the Kleine Losweg (after the bridge under the railway line), take the old path on the right to Hofstade. Follow this straight along a tense meadow to the end, then take left over the meadow parallel to the E19.
2. After this, a canal must cross to the Banks of the Senne. You can go on the roadside, but you have to get off quickly and leave the Senne. A petting zoo appears on your right, and immediately behind it you take the path on the right to the railway (winds between two houses).

A little further you cross the Brusselsesteenweg and you take the left bank of the Zenneverkorting (which is just to your left).
This core loop is the toughest, and perhaps even too heavy for the mountain biker who stays on his bike (take up the challenge).
Just past the Senne weirs you will notice the chapel O.-L.-V.-in-het-Hammeke on the right bank. In that neighborhood you leave the jagpad to the left (roadside) and you enter the Schom. At the bend in the Schom (asphalt road) take the right and keep following until you pass the first farm on your left. Take the old asphalt road on the left, which connected the Schom to the hinterland. This is paved over a small width, but the trail runner will look for the landed cobblestones.
At the intersection on the right and at the junction with the 'Waterken' you take the 'Waterken' (right and then along the hedge of a horse farm onto the Zennedijk).

At the Zennedijk you take right and 50m further you have the ford from the left to the right bank of the Senne. This place was used a long time ago (even before king car made its appearance) by the local residents and farmers who crossed the Senne on foot (at low tide) or by boat. The elevated stone path through the Senne has disappeared, on the left bank there is another concrete beam, on the right bank you can still notice the concrete staircase. You can only take this advantage at low tide and in dry periods without precipitation. Because of the disappeared 'stone footpath' you have to be prepared for a 5 to 10 meter swim through the Senne even at low tide. Only occasionally can you reach the other bank without having to swim.
See below for a timing of low water levels at this ford.

Take a left and follow the towpath from the Senne (right bank) to almost the railway line (where this towpath stops). This is a good 100m past the start of the high sand mountain in Hombeek (steep climbing path), after a crossing that goes in the direction of a crossing under the E19.

From here the 3 difficult parts are in order (see also the POIs on the zoomed map):
1. The sand mountain in Hombeek (used by motocross riders) that is climbed twice. The first time after you have already passed the hill halfway along the right (climbing a path straight up on the Senne; keep on the top left until you have to go down on the north side); the second time after you are almost at the bridge (path on the right back to the hilltop where you came up the first time; then follow south);
2. The parallel paths on the Senne along the lower leibeek on the E19 (forest vegetation and regularly soggy)
3. The sand mountain in Zemst (used by mountain bikers). After you have passed the chapel O.-L.-V.-in-het Hammeke, you come to a Y, where you take the right back and you come to the Zennedijk. Take the left at the dike and a little further you take the mountain-bike path up the sand mountains on the left, which you keep to the right.

After this you will return to the old Zennebrug, after which you can continue the exit plus to the Noordparking at the Weerdse visvijver. On this route you have the following difficult parts:
1. Once you have the railway line on your left in an easterly direction, you have to keep following it until you reach the Senne, this is done via an elevated path through a grove.
2. The Zennedijk is then followed to the end (against the E19), where you have to go steeply downhill over a stream. From then on, continue to follow the path parallel to the E19 (keep left first over a field, then through a forest). You will then come to a crossing under the railway line to Hofstade (path between guardrails and bridge leveler).
Past this crossing you have to cross a stream and continue to follow the E19 along a lower soggy part. Keep following this path until you come back to the Senne, where you continue to follow its left bank until you reach the paved path around the Weerdse visput.
Take a right to your starting point.

There are 2 places from Mechelen where you can easily pick up in the core part of this trail: At the intersection of the Antoon Spinoystraat with the parallel expressway along the east side of the E19 (cross the E19 on foot from the car park), or follow the Geerdegem-Schoonenberg under the E19 (dead end) to the Senne.

This full trail is unsuitable for non-sporty people who avoid a physical challenge.
For the sports enthusiast, this trail offers you an unforgettable fantastic experience.

For the sports enthusiast, this trail offers you an unforgettable experience along many old slow roads along the E19.

Info Zennedoorsteek aan het Waterken Zemst:
Water levels Senne: http://www.waterstanden.be/metingen-voorspellingen/hic-meetpunten/dijle-_en_zennebekken/zenne/zemst
The low water time there is approximately 2h10min after the low water level of the Scheldt in Antwerp: View the pdf table of the tide tables of the Zeschelde in Antwerp: http://www.watlab.be/nl/onderzoeksdomeinen/waterbeheer/getijtafels-beneden-zeeschelde
Of course, also take into account the effects of the precipitation forecast: http://www.meteo.be/meteo/view/nl/65239-Home.html