Along abbeys in the Merode area

The Hertberg is very varied with low iron sandstone hills and dune-like sandy soils. Coniferous, beech, silver birch, winter and summer oak are the most common trees here. The herb layer is still most beautifully developed here with lily of the valley, lily of the valley and white clover sorrel. Blueberries can be found in many places. Along forest edges and in light places you see many flowers such as hawkweed, goldenrod and lingonberry. On some plains, the heather raises its head en masse, along damp paths sometimes accompanied by bell heather, tormentil, blue button and beautiful gentian. The area also contains a few relicts of old fens and ponds, the Witput, the Kwacht and the Rode Vis.

After all this nature, it is time for a good dose of culture: the abbey of Tongerlo. Here you cannot avoid getting off your bike. When you enter the beautiful courtyard of the abbey, under the late Romanesque and Gothic gatehouse, you immediately get an overview of the most important sights, such as the classicist abbot's house. The former entrance gate of the abbot's house gives access to the abbot's garden with the Da Vinci museum, where the oldest replica of the mural The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci is exhibited.

Meandering along water and forests, you make a whole loop towards the starting point. Of course, before you return, you must also stop at the famous Averbode Abbey. The abbey was founded in 1134 on the initiative of Arnold II, Count of Loon. It is an abbey of the Premonstratensians, also called Norbertines or Witheren. During the day, you can freely visit the courtyard of the abbey and the abbey church. You are also welcome in the abbey bookshop that is located on the courtyard. Worthwhile, because your visit is a journey of discovery into the life of the Norbertines of Averbode. You are given an open view of the inspiration and motivations of the community, see what an abbey day looks like and what tasks are performed. You will also receive a lot of information about the prayer life and the passionate commitment to fellow human beings. In short: here you see abbey life as it is.

No longer on display here, but originating from this abbey is the special Passion altarpiece, which tells the story of the Passion of Jesus of Nazareth. The left panel shows his crucifixion, the wooden part the lamentation and the right panel his resurrection. It is not certain by whom the panels were painted and they may even be by different artists. The altarpiece is part of the collection of the Vleeshuis in Antwerp and in 2010 was temporarily exhibited in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in the Scheldt city. Nowadays it is part of the exhibition of the MAS (Museum aan de Stroom) in Antwerp.