Wijchmaal, Hechteren and Wijchmaal

Wijchmaal, the town where the tour starts and ends, is a village that is actually as insignificant as Helchteren, which you cycle to. And that is what makes this bike tour so charming! No frills, just a fun trip where you visit the charming village centers and enjoy beautiful parts of nature. The valley of the Dommel and the Bolisserbeek were designated as a protected landscape in 1988, so you can also enjoy the beautiful nature of the Resterheide, which is part of one of the largest nature reserves in Flanders: The Valley of the Zwarte Beek. Rare animals such as the black woodpecker, the woodlark, the snipe and the bluethroat live there, but there are also beautiful plants. The Resterheide is covered with conifers, especially the Scots pine and the Corsican pine. These species were planted to provide wood for the mines in the area, but also to preserve the shifting sands in the area. The first trees were planted at the beginning of the twentieth century. The forests have now gained the upper hand; only a small area of heathland remains. During your tour you will pass Ter Dolen Castle, which was already mentioned in 1282. The castle was the summer residence of the abbots of the Abbey of Sint-Truiden and the first abbot had the castle occupied in 1340. The abbot supported the prince-bishop while the residents of Sint-Truiden sided with the people of Liège. This division regularly led to conflicts. The castle has been witness and victim of many skirmishes over the centuries and has suffered from neglect. In 1522, the old castle was renovated and the building took on the appearance of a fortified mansion. A horse stable and a pigeon tower were added. A ring wall with towers was also built and a deep moat was dug around the complex. An entrance gate was placed in 1621 and a castle chapel was added to the complex in 1649. Renovations in the eighteenth century gave the building a classicist style and the appearance of a country house. The castle also suffered damage in the twentieth century: Germans severely damaged the complex when they were expelled from it. Since 1994, a castle brewery has been located in the castle farm.