Lummen, Paal and Schaffen

Explore one of the largest nature reserves in Flanders, where rare plants and animals can live in peace. The Valley of the Zwarte Beek is located north of the town of Lummen and covers approximately 1500 hectares. Between the trees you can hear the drumming of the black woodpecker and the whistling of the woodlark and the bluethroat. The snipe lives on the banks of the Zwarte Beek, the Winterbeek and the Oude Beek. These waters wind their way through forests and swamps, but also through hay fields and meadows. To prevent overgrowth of the area, but to use a natural method of maintenance, fjord horses and Scottish Angus-Aberdeens are used to keep the area 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 environment ensures that you can relax. The route takes you past the Ruine Sint-Jan de Doperkerk. This church was built from iron sandstone in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, but was destroyed during the religious war that raged from 1578 to 1580. The ruins are protected monuments. The choir, the dividing arch between choir and transept, a remnant of the transept and a piece of sacristy are covered with a thick layer of ivy, making the ruin look beautiful.