The valley of the Itterbeek

The Itterbeek discharges its water into the Maas, although via a detour through the Netherlands. Along the way, the water of the Itterbeek, which springs from the Kempen Plateau, is supplemented by the water of the Eetsevelderbeek or Wijshagenbeek. Like the Itterbeek, you also cross the Zuid-Willemsvaart, but this occurs underground. Here and there, groundwater also surfaces, contributing to the water level and the color. This spring water came into contact with iron-rich sand layers, resulting in the rust-colored soil and banks of the streams. In the valley of the Itterbeek, areas with very diverse nature developed, ranging from very wet and marshy to poor and dry. Here you can find wet moors with alders, meadows with wooded edges and ponds, grasslands, deciduous forests primarily with oaks and birches, planted coniferous forests, and magnificent oak avenues. It is mainly the wettest parts that have been spared drainage, allowing you to hear the extraordinary silence there. However, very early on, there were human activities in the vicinity of the Itterbeek. This is evidenced by the water mills that worked tirelessly for centuries using simple water energy.
Nevertheless, it is primarily windmills that draw attention on this route. Water mills and windmills do their work in silence. Only humans create a bit of noise here.

DIRECTIONS
Signposts for the cycling network.

SAFETY
Relatively safe route. 15% traffic-free.
Paved roads everywhere.

RECOMMENDED STARTING POINT
Itterplein, between the church and the brewery Sint-Jozef in Opitter.

INFORMATION
Tourism Bree, Markt z/n, 3960 Bree, 4 089 46 94 18, toerisme@bree.be, www.bree.be.

VVV Information Service, Maasstraat 82, bus 3, 3640 Ophoven (Kinrooi), 089 56 47 36, vvvkinrooi@skynet.be.

Bicycle RENTAL
Tourism Bree, Vrijthof 10, 3960 Bree. toerisme@bree.be.

VVV Information Service, Maasstraat 82, 3640 Ophoven (Kinrooi), 089 56 47 36, vvvkinrooi@skynet.be.

Food and Drink
Restaurant Brouwershuis, Itterplein 15a, 3960 Opitter (Bree), 089 86 82 29.

Here you can enjoy a Limburg white beer, but a Sint-Gummarus is of course also particularly delicious.

Café De Kieper, Keyartstraat 2, Tongerlo, 089 86 13 27.

Restaurant De Sjuit, Alte Kirche Straße 24, Molenbeersel, 089 46 46 51.