Tour'To the Vrenen\\\'

In this Belgian region you can enjoy cycling through the green landscape. There are charming small villages in the area where you will receive a friendly welcome. These often have a rich history, such as the lovely Helchteren. The oldest mention of this village appears in 1107, but at that time it was still called Haletra. The name refers to one or more of the following seven meanings: holy house or lime house, barren region, hazel forest, sacred tree, strip of land, wicker area and juniper area. The village is located on the Kempen Plateau and is 70 to 80 meters high. Helchteren has a number of forest and nature areas, in which estates are scattered like patches, but parts of the heath have also been cordoned off as military training areas. The village of Ellikom is also worth a mention. It is one of the oldest residential areas in the Limburg Kempen and the first mention dates from 1314, when the name was still written as"Elleken\\\". This indicates that the area was inhabited by the Franks, because loosely translated it means "dwelling of the people of Alja". Archaeological finds show that Ellikom was already inhabited in Roman times, and possibly even earlier.