Through the Kraanbergbos

This walk takes you to a forest that testifies to Limburg's mining past. When agriculture in Houthalen-Helchteren had to make way for mining, this was also reflected in the vegetation of the region.

The region of Houthalen-Helchteren used to be characterized by an open heathland. This was due to years of forest clearing for the clearing of agricultural area. As a result, large areas of heathland were already present here in the Middle Ages. With the rise of coal mining in Wallonia and Limburg, large parts of the heathland were sacrificed for the planting of coniferous forest. After all, the softwood was excellent for serving as 'strut wood' in the mine corridors. Especially the Scots pine and to a lesser extent the Corsican pine were excellent as mine wood. In the meantime, the coal mines in Belgium have disappeared and the coniferous forests are slowly but surely being transformed into mixed forests. The Kraanbergbos is a good example of this.

The route
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Start at the Sint-Antoniuskerk of Lillo, a district of Houthalen-Helchteren. The church is located on the Lillosteenweg t.o. house no. 37. To the left of the church into the Neerveldstraat which you continue to follow to the right at the fork. Follow the Neerveldstraat through a quiet neighborhood until the end. YARD. You walk under the power line and after a slight right you go to the first side street LA, the Holle Weg. At the end of the asphalted section RD. Step into the forest, through a real hollow road. Follow that to the end and at the T-junction RA. You are now following a narrow path. In the end LA. A little further you reach some rest benches and a chapel against a tree. YARD. After 400 m, ignoring all side roads, you reach a wide cross road. RD to a tarmac road. Here LA and soon you see on the right a clearing with a dead end street: Stakeberg 10-12. Further RD. Ignore a side road to the left and turn a little further RA into a coniferous forest, at the level of a striking birch tree. At the end of this road you reach barbed wire. LA here. You now walk RD to a beautiful bike path. Right in front of you, behind the fence, the landfill of Remostort for industrial waste, on the left the top of the former terril of the coal mine of Heusden-Zolder. Turn RA and continue to follow this cycle path for just over 1 km, until you reach the signpost Loerstraat-Wolfsdal. Ra again. Keep walking in the direction of cycle junction 308. A little further you walk past Domein Hoeverheide, a private estate. On the Heerkensweg and the information board about the Kraanbergbos RD. 100 m further RA into the forest path. After approx. 500 m you bend to the left and continue walking along the edge of the meadow. At the level of a dense grove of coniferous trees RA. A little further LA. You walk through a wet zone and pass a pond on the left. Follow this path to a wide dirt road. RA and immediately ignore the exit to the left. Follow the wide dirt road between pastures with horses. Near farm 't Kruiske and the Grauwe Steenstraat, the wide dirt road becomes a concrete road. Follow it to the first side street. LA Schansweg. The Schansweg turns into the 'Alley'. Keep following this until the end. LA in the direction of the 17th-century St. Catherine's Chapel. Then a few dozen meters to the right along the Lillosteenweg and you are back at the Sint-Antoniuskerk.

Text and photo Eddy Vlyminck