Lummen, Paal and Schaffen

Explore one of the largest nature reserves in Flanders, where rare plants and animals can live in peace. The Vallei van de Zwarte Beek is located north of the town of Lummen and covers approximately 1500 hectares. The drumming of the black woodpecker and the whistling of the woodlark and the bluethroat resound between the trees. The common snipe lives on the banks of the Zwarte Beek, the Winterbeek and the Oude Beek. These waters meander their way through forests and marshes, but also through hayfields and meadows. In order to prevent the area from becoming overgrown, but to use a natural method of maintenance, fjord horses and Scottish Angus-Aberdeens are used to keep the wings short. The diversity in the area is due to the fact that it is located at the crossroads of three different regions, just like the town of Lummen itself. Geographically, the area has characteristics of the Hageland, Haspengouw and the Kempen. There is a friendly, rustic atmosphere and the rural surroundings ensure that you can relax wonderfully. The route takes you past Ruine Sint-Jan de Doperkerk. This church was built in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries from iron sandstone, but was destroyed during the religious war that raged from 1578 to 1580. The ruins are protected monuments. The choir, the arch between the choir and transept, a remnant of the transept and a part of the sacristy are covered with a thick layer of ivy, which makes the ruin look beautiful.