#250519 - Gastuche, Short Tomme

This route is a very beautiful variant of the route #181231 - Gastuche, hidden treasures behind the scenes****.

Magnificent walk with some difficult sections in the triangle of Gastuche, Tomme (the hamlet of Ottenburg in Flemish Brabant) and Archennes. A majestic start by the long Drève de Laurensart, lined with beautiful leaning plane trees, providing access to the two castles of the same name, the old one surrounded by moats that can barely be seen on the left and the "new" one which is better visible on the hillside, elevated in a clearing. This castle today houses several liberal professions and small businesses. After passing the Dyle, we turn right onto the wonderful path 131 that follows the edge of the Laurensart wood, with a beautiful view**** to the right of the Grands Prés where the meanders of the Dyle can be discerned in places. Caution! This path is often muddy or even flooded. Be sure to wear good shoes or boots. We enter the Flemish region at the borders of Florival. We take the Florivalstraat for 250m. It is a narrow and dangerous road (without shoulders). We first keep to the left to begin the ascent of the "pass" in a hollow path. Stay well to the right at each fork in the path (hollow on the left and overhanging on the right; the GPS signal makes it difficult to distinguish between the two). This "pass" is lined with Cairns (stones piled up by "mountaineers"). Upon close observation, you can find several small ones and one large one. The arrival at the summit is magnificent, a small winding path of white sand through low vegetation with young green spruces. On the cleared plateau (100m altitude), we pass by a large structure shaped like a flying saucer. It is a radar equipment (VOR) to manage air traffic approaching Zaventem. We then cross the small isolated hamlet of Tomme (Huldenberg). We begin the descent towards Gastuche by the picturesque**** voetweg 69 and path 130 that runs along the edge of the Laurensart wood, with beautiful cultivated hills to the right to return to the avenue of plane trees at the start. An absolute must!

Last updated: 14/06/2022 (routing modified to avoid closed path).