In Zutendaal, you will get to know the Hoge Kempen National Park at its best. Diverse, with plenty of recreational opportunities. We chose muddy paths, gravel, and asphalt. This calls for good hiking shoes.

Text Chris Van Minnebruggen – Photo Koen De Langhe/Tourism Limburg

If you come by public transport, take bus 45 from Genk station towards Maastricht and get off at Zutendaal church. Our route leads along forested roads through the hamlets of Bessem, the quiet area Zwarteput near Roelen, and Stalken to the Lieteberg Visitor Center. Ideal for a picnic and a visit to the insect museum, the Barefoot Path, a lookout tower, and much more to learn about nature.

By that time, you will have noticed that the entire area is dotted with colorful hiking signs and numbered hiking junctions instead of hiking nodes. What's the difference? Hiking junctions are points of recognition where you can connect to other hikes. You are not directed with arrows to surrounding junctions as you are with the nodes.

Once past the Lieteberg, you often continue walking among the trees but also pass by large ponds and recreational lakes.

The route

Start at the Vijverplein (V) and take the path along Vonderstraat at the Lieteberg hiking sign. At hiking junction (HJ) 105 turn left and at the T turn right. At the chapel, turn left, follow the Mandelseweg, same further on at the Teerkes chapel (1). At HJ 104 turn right, also at the next intersection. Continue to bike junction (BJ) 62. Turn right and after 50 m turn right onto Grensweg. From now on, follow the orange ball hike, entering the forest at a tree chapel on the right. After a 90° turn, you will reach a fork without indication: go left and 250 meters ahead rejoin the orange ball trail. In Roelen, turn right onto Kiewitseweg into the Quiet Area Zwarteput (2). You walk along often muddy paths through HJ 91, 92, 93, and 95 to 96, a monument for Jeroen Brouwers (3). After the Bezoensbeek, turn left, now with the blue square hike, over the forest path next to Bijenberg and via HJ 103 and 102 to the Lieteberg Visitor Center (4). Follow the orange ball again for a moment. At HJ 106 turn right (blue square), cross left and continue left. Follow the gravel and later turn right onto the winding path along a large pond. Where the blue square trail diverges from the path, go straight and 100 m further turn right, following the yellow triangle for mountain bikers. At the T, turn right onto Muggenberg. At HJ 108, turn left and follow the red triangle. Through Camping Hoge Kempen (5) and nature area Kattevennen (6) along the Surfplas Papendaalheide (7). At HJ 119, turn right, rejoining the blue square. Turn left at the Beach Club and alongside the Fishing Pond. Turn left between the two ponds. Diagonally left, exit the fenced area and turn right onto the asphalt. At N77 turn right and at house no. 73 take the path right down. This path leads through Terboekterstraat and Geerkensstraat to the center. Continue through Geerkensveld. You will naturally arrive at the Our Lady of the Assumption Church (8) and the starting point.