Let yourself be enchanted by the beautiful Voeren. Here you will find a varied landscape with stunning views, sublime little valleys, and wooded areas.

Text and photo Eddy Vlyminck

For years, the Voer region was synonymous with the language struggle between Flemish and Walloons. Protests, demonstrations, and language disputes are now a thing of the past, and peace has returned. It's high time to immerse yourself in the stunning nature of this unique border area between Belgium and the Netherlands. The highly varied landscape with beautiful vistas is a true highlight even for the most demanding hiker. It includes a lime-loving flora with orchids and countless mistletoe that adorn the landscape. It is also one of the favorite habitats for badgers. Badger burrows and the corresponding 'badger paths' (the fixed routes used by badgers, ed.) provide extra nature experiences during this walk.

Pasar 2021/7 - Last route check 2021/5

The route

Start at the visitor center 's Gravenvoeren (Pley 13) (V). This is accessible by bus 39B (Tongeren) and bus 139 (Visé). With your back to the visitor center, turn left. A little further, at point X, turn left. Follow past Hotel Blanckthys and Auberge 's Gravenhof, point 23. You cross the Voer and at point 23, turn right towards point 22. At point 22 again turn right to point 34. Ignore the left turn a bit further and follow point 34 through a hollow way. Here you will see various badger paths. At point 34, go straight on to point 35 (1) past the play forest ‘Voerenberg’. At point 35 turn right. Leave the ascending road and enter the nature reserve Altenbroek. Walk to point 40. Further on, open landscape with a view of Sint-Martens-Voeren. Through the meadow to point 40. Through a number of gates and a passage over a small bridge (by a play stream), you climb to point 40. Turn left to point 41 and continue straight to point 42, where you see the remains of an old limestone quarry (2). Climb from point 42 to point 43 at the entrance of the Schophemmerheide. Turn left to point 50. You walk past boundary stone 22 and via point 50 and further straight to point 51, you stay on the Belgium-Netherlands border. At a junction with a stone cross, turn left to point 52. At point 52, go straight to point 53. Directly in front of you, you see the church tower of the Dutch village of Noorbeek. At the intersection, near a vineyard, turn left. Continue straight to Noorbeek. At point 53, turn left towards point 42. You walk in the Onderstraat and at a modern boundary stone you leave the paved road and also the Netherlands. Continue straight to a junction. Here turn right along the blue post. (Do not go to point 42!). Walk through an open gate and follow the signage of Natuurpunt (blue rectangle). You pass Castle Altenbroek (3) and along a number of ponds you reach the roadway again. Here, at the gate, turn immediately right to point 39. At point 39 turn left to point 36. Through a turnstile you re-enter the forest for a short climb. At point 36 turn left to point 35. From this border road, you have a wide panorama. At a large farm on your left, you walk past boundary stone 24 (4). Continue following this road until point 35. Here, retrace the same way back via points 34, 22, and 23 as at the beginning of the walk.

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