Neerpelt, Wezel and Lommel

With this route you will discover that Lommel is surrounded by beautiful nature: coniferous and deciduous forests, heathland landscapes, dunes, water ponds. The best-known nature reserve is the Sahara, right next to the Kempen Canal: a desert-like landscape, with a clear blue lake in the middle and scented coniferous forests all around. This oasis of peace and the mecca of many nature lovers was created by human activities. The effluents of the former zinc factory caused all green vegetation to disappear, resulting in a barren landscape covered with white sand. To prevent expansion, forests were created, which prevented the process of further silting up. The first part of your tour takes you along the route of the former railway between Overpelt and Helchteren. You ride in full nature, as if you were cycling through a green tunnel of bushes, leaves and branches. There is an occasional glimpse of the Limburg landscape in the area and the road intersections are reminiscent of the former railway crossings. Halfway through you take a welcome trip to the Wedelse Molen, a cafe for lovers of nostalgia and a good glass of beer. Unique to the building are the rotating wheels of the undershot mill, which the operator is happy to explain to you. You can also enjoy more than 160 beers, including regional beers, at fair prices. Then you cross through the woods of the Pijnven to Wezel. With over 2,000 hectares, Het Pijnven is the largest forest complex in Bosland. There are four playing fields in a huge play forest - nice to know if you are traveling with children. The Butterfly Valley and the artwork 'De Boom in' by Will Beckers also make this area more than worth a visit. Via the Beverlo canal you drive to the Kempen canal and the Sahara. Before you return to your starting point in Neerpelt, you will pass a special place: Joe\\\'s Bridge. This is where the British XXXth Army Corps entered the Netherlands on September 17, 1944. The bridge did not fall into British hands without a fight. A week earlier it had been captured by the Irish Guards in a surprise attack from the Germans. But the Germans did not simply give up the bridge and tried to recapture the bridge with counter-attacks. However, the Guards stood their ground and the bridge was named after their commander: JOE Vandeleur.