25/03/2021

On the border between dry and wet Hesbaye is a picturesque village consisting of a few streets, a beautiful church and a beauty of a nature reserve in a hilly landscape. Zammelen, which is part of Kortessem, is located on a hill and the Mombeek valley is the heart of the nature reserve. In spring, you can enjoy the scents and colors of nature, the white flowers of badger garlic, the yellow color of pointed flowers, the purple of cuckoo flower and others as well as the mistletoe you see hanging in the trees (apparently, every woman can be kissed under a mistletoe) symbol of peace and love. Also a Christmas tradition. We also pass the bottomless pit! A piece of swamp, quicksand bounded by four poles. Legend has it that a horse with a cart disappeared here.

Natuurpunt has developed 3 routes here: blue is 4 km, orange is 6 km and red is 7 km (red is also the most beautiful), this GPS version is red and orange with three side jumps of the path to show something more like the Hellingbos (with its spring flowers garlic, pointter flowers and cuckoo flower), the Loonse poel (quiet bench at the pool) and when we pass the marsh with the 4 poles the second time, we take the left plank path that crosses several spring puddles.

The 'Zammelen' article can be read in NATUUR magazine. MAGAZINE edition March/April/May 2020.

Parking is possible at the back of the building at Sint-Amandusstraat 14, Kortessem (for GPS setting) and the route starts just after the church (wall) on the left