#18. Mombeek-Jongenbos

Discover how Flanders enhances open space for agriculture, nature, and forest. Step by step towards more beautiful landscapes with more nature and forest.

During this walk, you will get acquainted with the spatial implementation plan RUP Valley of the Mombeek and Jongenbos. Also discover the other walks of 'Step by Step'.

You walk through an area that has been arranged through the land consolidation Vliermaalroot. The area includes both the typical Haspengouw high-stem orchards rich in blossoms and several old forest cores. Many of the walking and cycling paths on the journey have been realized through this land consolidation, which also made room for a significant expansion of the Jongenbos and the Spitsbos.

The land consolidation process started in 1990, and the reallocation was completed in 2006. The spatial implementation plan 'Jongenbos and valley of the Mombeek from Wintershoven to Wimmertingen' established more than 300 ha of additional nature and forest areas according to the options from this land consolidation.

The Jongenbos is a large contiguous old forest complex of more than 100 ha at the transition between Kempen and Haspengouw, which provides a varied soil situation and consequently species richness. The historically stable forest has always functioned as a park and hunting domain around the classicist castle Jongenbos until the Flemish region bought it in the 1990s and set it up as a forest reserve. The Agency for Nature and Forest subsequently realized a significant amount of forest expansion on the eastern edge of the Jongenbos and on the northern side in the Spitsbos.

The hike in brief.
Starting point at the church of Wintershoven. You quickly cross the Mombeek to climb the plateau of the Enkelenberg along a former tram line and old high-stem orchards. Follow the path marked with an orange dot. After 3 kilometers, turn right and exchange the orange dots for the path indicated with the red triangle and blue diamond. At the end of the avenue (which leads to the castle Jongenbos), turn right to walk around the Jongenbos forest reserve. Through the source area of the Winterbeek and the Spitsbos, you will cross the agricultural area of Vliermaalroot to return to the valley of the Mombeek, which you follow upstream until you are back in Wintershoven.

Want to know more:

RUP Valley of the Mombeek and Jongenbos

Did you find this interesting? Also discover the other walks of 'Step by Step towards more beautiful landscapes with more nature and forest'.

(The routes have been mapped out with due care. Did you notice an error or do you have suggestions for improvement? Let us know at agnas@vlaanderen.be)