The Mombeek valley in Kortessem

Appointment at the Kerkplein (V) of Kortessem (parking). Under the Romanesque west tower of St. Peter's Church you enter the Kapittelstraat (> junction 122). This gives out with a right turn on the Mersenhovenstraat; There you choose left. Above, at the beautiful Bokrijkhuis, walk straight ahead into the Bredeweg (> 123). At the concrete intersection always go straight ahead via the Bredeweg. This way you come to a fork at the Mersenhovenkapelletje 1, where you keep left. Originally this was a St. Rochus chapel against the plague. A number of floor tiles, with a primitive symbolism on them, refer to the different epidemic years. Ignore the next fork to the left, keep walking straight between the fruit orchards. On the horizon, the Haspengouw landscape slopes to Vliermaal on its hill, while right in front of you the castle of Guigoven emerges from the green Mombeek valley. You cross the traffic road and follow the earth road straight ahead. After 100 m, it turns right and opens onto Kasteelstraat. You walk to the left, around the cemetery and so to 't Rood Kasteel 2. The medieval moated castle of the lords of Guigoven was converted into a residential castle farm in the 17th century. Now the 7 ha estate is a 'meeting and event location' of a Limburg event agency. The asphalt climbs out of the Mombeek valley, turns around the castle domain and then turns right at a picnic bench, towards Vliermaal. At the crossroads near the first houses, choose the Beekstraat on the left. In the village at the fork turn left again, the Sint-Janstraat (on the right the Beekstraat continues to the center, with brasserie Winterhof at 200 m). At the end of the Sint-Janstraat you take the Kerkveldweg straight ahead. At the house no. 14 turn left into the Oude-Tramstraat. A nice slow road, which slowly descends to Wintershoven. Almost at the end of it you come to the Mombeek again, but you do not cross the water. Just before the bridge, turn left via the footpath to the shore. For example, you walk through a beautiful mini reserve next to the Mombeek, with some lakes that house a wealth of aquatic plants, insects and amphibians. On some summer nights, the green frogs croak the local residents out of their sleep. On the other side of the stream is the neo-Romanesque Sint-Pietersbandenkerkje 3 of Wintershoven, where you walk via the bridge. An ancient, but frequently renovated pilgrimage sanctuary in natural stone, with a series of relics of local saints inside. The cobblestones take you to the Wintershovenstraat: turn right. At the fork, choose Bronstraat. You follow it for 400 m. Just past a chapel on the right you descend on the left via the Molenstraat again to the valley. To the left of that street, the ruins of an old water mill are languishing, with only a large rusting wheel next to the vliet. You cross the Mombeek and follow its rural valley downstream. The path runs along meadows, meadows and a forest edge, after which it again sweeps over the Mombeek. With Elderroot in sight, you choose the T on the left, such as the blue diamond and the red triangle. You stay near the Mombeek, until the path abruptly turns to the right. At the first house turn left again, so follow blue and red again. The country road bends again with a long bend to the Mombeek. At the next T you immediately cross the stream on the left. After which you follow the water downstream on the left bank. This way you end up on the narrow N76 bis, you turn left. You walk past the Bembroekmolen 4, today stripped of its water wheel and converted into a home, but still with the old reservoir next to it. A little further on, turn left onto the concrete ribbon (at the Pasar walking sign). That cycle path, flanked further on by a comfortable wood fibre path, takes you along the Winterbeek in tow. The path ends at the sports field of Kortessem, which you recognize from the beginning of this loop.