Zennetrail dry-track (Weerde-Zemst-Hombeek) (7,1km + 5,6km)

This trail is a shortened version of the loop https://www.routeyou.com/route/view/658255/wandelroute-zennetrail-weerde-zemst-hombeek-135km.nl, where the crossing through the Senne via an old slow road is not taken. Instead, the northern direction is taken on the right bank of the Senne. The track is therefore about a km shorter, and 4 difficult trail points are skipped.

This trail remains, despite this shortening of fording Senne crossing, nevertheless a fantastic route at a natural history point: It uses several old slow roads (old stone road Zemst-Hofstade, ...) and it is also peppered with two recent sand accumulations along the E19.

This counterclockwise trail is located along the Senne and the E19 and consists of two loops that are connected to each other:
The 5.6km supply and exit plus starts at the North parking of the fish pit in Weerde, and uses as many unpaved and at times little used paths as possible. It is fairly flat, with marshy patches of sprawl here and there and a few pits. The difficult parts in this run-up section are:
1. 100m past the bend in the Kleine Losweg (after the bridge under the railway line), take the old path on the right to Hofstade. Follow this straight along a tense meadow to the end, then take left over the meadow parallel to the E19.
2. You have to go a little further to the Senne bank. You can go on this, but you have to quickly go back down the roadside and leave the Senne. A petting zoo appears on your right, and immediately behind it you take the path on the right to the railway (winds between two houses).

A little further you cross the Brusselsesteenweg and you come to the old bridge of the Brusselsesteenweg over the Senne (the dead end road just north of the current crossing over Zenne and E19), where you can immediately start the core loop of 7.1 km on the Senne right bank.
You can also park your car here and start the core loop from here.

This core loop is the toughest, and perhaps even too heavy for the mountain biker who stays on his bike (take up the challenge). We first follow the towpath from the Senne (right bank) to almost the railway line (where this towpath stops). This is a good 100m past the start of the high sand mountain in Hombeek (steep climbing path), after a crossing that goes in the direction of a crossing under the E19.

From here the 3 difficult parts are in order (see also the POIs on the zoomed map):
1. The sand mountain in Hombeek (used by motocross riders) that is climbed twice. The first time after you have already passed the hill halfway along the right (climbing a path straight up on the Senne; keep on the top left until you have to go down on the north side); the second time after you are almost at the bridge (path on the right back to the hilltop where you came up the first time; then follow south);
2. The parallel paths on the Senne along the lower leibeek on the E19 (forest vegetation and regularly soggy)
3. The sand mountain in Zemst (used by mountain bikers). After you have passed the chapel O.-L.-V.-in-het Hammeke, you come to a Y, where you take the right back and you come to the Zennedijk. Take the left at the dike and a little further you take the mountain-bike path up the sand mountains on the left, which you keep to the right.

After this you will return to the old Zennebrug, after which you can continue the exit plus to the Noordparking at the Weerdse visvijver. On this route you have the following difficult parts:
1. Once you have the railway line on your left in an easterly direction, you have to keep following it until you reach the Senne, this is done via an elevated path through a grove.
2. The Zennedijk is then followed to the end (against the E19), where you have to go steeply downhill over a stream. From then on, continue to follow the path parallel to the E19 (keep left first over a field, then through a forest). You will then come to a crossing under the railway line to Hofstade (path between guardrails and bridge leveler).
Past this crossing you have to cross a stream and continue to follow the E19 along a lower soggy part. Keep following this path until you come back to the Senne, where you continue to follow its left bank until you reach the paved path around the Weerdse visput.
Take a right to your starting point.

There are 2 places from Mechelen where you can easily pick up in the core part of this trail: At the intersection of the Antoon Spinoystraat with the parallel expressway along the east side of the E19 (cross the E19 on foot from the car park), or follow the Geerdegem-Schoonenberg under the E19 (dead end) to the Senne.

This full trail is unsuitable for non-sporty people who avoid a physical challenge.
For the sports enthusiast, this trail offers you an unforgettable fantastic experience.