Warmbeek Valley - green - 3.2 km

Start your adventure at 't Mulke and follow this short but diverse walking route. Along the way, you will pass the fish ladder and the mysterious Tomp, a fascinating place full of history. Further on, you will come across the ruins of 'de Waag', a historical site where once the mill rights were managed. Here you will also find the geological garden, a unique collection of mainly Belgian rocks, displayed along a circular path that symbolizes the timescale of the rocks.
The route then takes you along the bank of a ditch, where the path can sometimes be muddy and less suitable for strollers. You can easily avoid this by following the wide avenue from de Waag towards junction 182, making the route perfectly accessible for wheelchairs and strollers.
The Valley of the Warmbeek
The Warmbeek springs in Peer, twenty kilometers to the south, and flows through Hamont-Achel, with a drop of 9 meters over a distance of 8 kilometers. At Sint-Huibrechts-Lille, the stream crosses the Bocholt-Herentals canal and changes its name to Tongelreep at the Dutch border, eventually flowing into the Dommel at the Genneper Parks in Eindhoven. In the past, the meanders of the Warmbeek at the Achelse Kluis were straightened and dike-constructed to drain the water more quickly. Thanks to recent re-meandering, this area now functions as a natural water buffer, where the river can overflow during high water levels.
Between the Tomp and the Mulke, the riverbed was diverted for the construction of a mill pond of about 7 hectares, essential for the operation of the watermill during dry periods. In 2015, fish ladders were constructed at the former watermill 't Mulke, allowing fish to swim upstream again to their spawning grounds. Upstream of the fish ladder, a 'spawning riffle' has been created, ideal for rare stream fish such as the common chub and the loach.
Come and enjoy this short but fascinating walking route and the beautiful Valley of the Warmbeek.