The nature reserve Hageven in the north of Limburg is not restricted by a national border and seamlessly merges into the nature reserve De Plateaux in the Netherlands.

Text and photo Mark Dedapper

This walk almost entirely traverses the nature reserves Hageven (Belgium) and Plateaux (Netherlands), which form a single entity and together cover 600 hectares. It is an oasis of heathland, ponds, forests, and grasslands where the river Dommel makes its way through. Furthermore, Plateaux is known for its stunning floral displays and flooding meadows. This is a water system from the early nineteenth century, where a piece of land is periodically artificially irrigated with nutrient-rich water from rivers and canals. Due to artificial fertilization, this system gradually fell out of use, but it is being restored in several places. On this journey, you mainly follow the walking junctions and a part of Region-GR 561 (yellow-red signs).

The route

Directions

Departure: Parking Nature Center De Wulp, Tussenstraat 10 in Neerpelt - public transport Belbus 745 (from Overpelt or Neerpelt station – Stop De Wulp). Leave the parking lot (V) and turn right to junction 50. At the fork, go right and immediately left to junction 53, which you reach at a pond with a viewing wall (1). Go right and once over the Dommel (2), follow the bank left towards junction 95. Along the way, there is also a lookout tower. At a concrete footbridge, leave the Dommel to the right. At junction 95, turn left to junction 94, where you take a narrow path left towards junction 52. You will now also follow the yellow-red signs from Region-GR (SGR) 561. Cross the Dommel via a picturesque suspension bridge (3). At a boundary post (4), continue straight with the SGR towards junction 52. You walk along the border with Hageven (5) to your left and Plateaux (6) to your right. At a bench, leave the junctions and go diagonally right with the SGR. You are now on Dutch territory. Be careful: after 1 km, leave the wider path and take the narrow path to the right with SGR. Ignore two forest paths that you cross and keep following the SGR. At a T-junction, you arrive at the Dutch junction 61. Leave the SGR here and turn right towards junction 64. Continue following the yellow triangle on green through the forest and heath. Be careful: at an intersection with a wider forest road, briefly go left/right and continue attentively following the signs. Beyond a wide boardwalk, you reach junction 64, where you again follow the Belgian junctions straight ahead towards junction 96. // To the right, you can briefly deviate to a viewing hide (7), from which you have a view of eleven plateau ponds and extensive heathland. // You are now back on Belgian territory. Cross the Dommel and come onto asphalt. At junction 96, turn right to junction 93. Continue straight here and follow further towards junction 92: at a T-junction, go left and 75 m further take a narrow path to the right, where you reach junction 92 after 20 m. Go straight over a wooden bridge to junction 91. Turn right to junction 90 – follow the indications carefully. You reach junction 90 at the end of Buizerdstraat – turn left and almost immediately right through a beautiful avenue towards junction 54 - be careful: at the end of the avenue road, turn right. At junction 54, turn left to junction 50, where you turn left towards junction 46 until you reach the visitor center.