Wijchmaal, Hechteren and Wijchmaal

Wijchmaal, the place where the tour starts and ends, is a village that is actually just as insignificant as Helchteren, where you cycle to. And that is what makes this bike tour so charming! No frills, but just a nice tour where you visit the cozy village centers and where you enjoy beautiful pieces of nature. The valley of the Dommel and the Bolisserbeek were designated as a protected landscape in 1988 and 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 live there such as the black woodpecker, the woodlark, the snipe and the bluethroat, but there are also beautiful plants. The Resterheide is covered with conifers, especially the Scots pine and the Corsican pine are common there. These species were planted to provide wood for the mines in the area, but also to preserve the drifting sands in the area. The first trees were planted at the beginning of the twentieth century. In the meantime, the forests have taken over; only a small heathland area remains. During your walk, you will pass Kasteel Ter Dolen, 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 inhabitants of Sint-Truiden sided with the people of Liège. This division regularly led to conflicts. The castle has therefore witnessed and been the victim of many skirmishes over the centuries and has suffered from neglect. In 1522, the old castle was renovated and the building was given the appearance of a fortified mansion. A horse stable and a dovecote were added. A ring wall with towers was also built and a deep moat was dug around the complex. In 1621, an entrance gate was placed and in 1649 a castle chapel was added to the complex. 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 driven out. Since 1994, a castle brewery has been located in the castle farm.