In one of the largest nature reserves in Flanders, the Schulensbroek, lies the beautiful Schulensmeer. Many hiking trails start from the visitor center, and we also begin this hike here.

Text and photo Guido Elias

The Schulensmeer is a popular recreational area, especially on summer weekends. It was created by sand extraction during the construction of the E314 in the early 1970s. At that time, a basin was also created in the Schulensbroek region to better regulate the Demer river flowing here. This approach preserved a lot of agricultural land. The lake was named after the village of Schulen, which belongs to the municipality of Herk-de-Stad and is located on the road between Hasselt and Diest. There are plenty of parking spaces very close to Schulensmeer at the Natuureducatief Centrum De Vloot, located at Demerstraat 60 in Lummen. By the way, you can also get tourist information there. From the parking lot, you walk over a small bridge towards the modern building De Vloot. The hike begins there.

The route

We start at the Natuureducatief Centrum De Vloot in Lummen (V). With a view of the lake, go right, following the path marked with a green rectangle. Go through a gravel path that winds through a small grove and along the edge of the forest. Always follow the path with the green rectangle, passing a sign “1 km”. Turn right, and you will arrive at a raised meadow. Climb the dike (watch out for cyclists!), go straight ahead, and then left. Now follow the sign with the blue rhombus across the asphalt road (= Beekstraat) (1). It goes over a dike past a parking lot. Through a gate. Enjoy the spacious meadow landscape. You are now in a quiet area of Natuurpunt and continue straight over the dike and through a gate past the sign “2 km”. Shortly after, the path of the blue rhombus will turn left; we will now follow the sign with the yellow rectangle straight ahead. Turn left (post “3 km”). At a bench, you reach a fork; we go straight ahead and follow the orange sign, passing the post “4 km”.

The area that we leave to the left is a quiet zone that is not accessible to the public from January 1 to May 31.

Again through a gate, always follow the orange sign, turn right at a nature conservation sign, past the sign “5 km” and a bench, just before the curve to the left, turn left, go right, take the path with the wooden railing down (away from the dike), follow the orange sign through the meadows. Go straight ahead at X (follow the blue rhombus) to the village (2). After 250 meters, follow the yellow rectangle/blue rhombus to the left, and after about 250 meters turn left again (yellow rectangle) to X, where you go straight ahead. Follow the blue rhombus.

An alternative (and shorter) route leads left at X along the asphalt road/cycle path to the next X (after 300 meters), where you turn left. Follow the blue rhombus.

After 300 meters, climb back onto the dike, and follow the blue rhombus/orange rectangle to the right. Train tracks to the right. Stay on the dike until the end (gate). Take the asphalt road, passing a parking lot and pump station (3). Go straight ahead; in the distance, you can already see De Vloot to your left. Turn left at the barracks, continue along the earth path for about 1.5 kilometers back to the starting point and the parking lot.