Bridge walk with extra loop Kijkverdried 99% unpaved

https://www.uitinravels.be/bruggeskeswandeling

The walk without the extra loop is competing for the https://www.provincieantwerpen.be/aanbod/dvt/wandeling-van-het-jaar.html 2021 and, in my opinion, this time will be the winner. You can also cast your vote via the link.

Through narrow, winding sandy paths, you explore a varied landscape with woods, meadows, historical marshes, and heathland. Streams, ditches, and trenches crisscross the area. Rest assured: twenty wooden bridges keep your feet dry! Download the map of the Bruggeskeswandeling at the bottom or consult it online.

The area with the many little bridges is, by the way, not only popular with walkers. The remaining marshes and heathland are a paradise for insects and amphibians. Here, rare beauties such as the heath blue butterfly, brown winter damselfly, and grey sand bee fly. By the water, you can find the common toad and various species of salamanders and frogs. The meadows and heath also harbor special plants, such as the small sundew, marsh butterwort, heath leaf, and spotted orchid. The mix of forest and open land also provides a varied bird fauna, including species like the tawny owl, honey buzzard, northern harrier, nightjar, and yellowhammer.

The Kijkverdriet is located between the Dessel-Schoten canal and the Staatsbossen of Ravels, about 3 km southeast of the village center. The young extraction landscape is characterized by straight lines alternating with meadows, wood edges, forests, and agricultural plots. The name "Kijkverdriet" was explained by Emiel van Hemeldonck in his book "Kijkverdriet, Kleine triptiek van het eeuwig landschap" (1950): 'Kijkverdriet' is a piece of marshy, infertile land in the Turnhout area. The name is inspired by the thought that this land is so desolate that 'the Lord, when he created this land, looked at it with sadness'.