Erperheide route

Since the eighties of the twentieth century, attempts have been made to give the forest a more natural character. The forest is intersected by the Kolisloop, which flows into the Warmbeek, and in the western part of the nature reserve there is a sand quarry. There are also some remnants of heather to be found between the trees. Near the stream you can see more birch and oak trees, which here and there merge into a peaty birch swamp forest. Centaury and wild bog myrtle grow luxuriantly in nature and various butterflies, including the small kingfisher butterfly, the brown oak page, the speckled skipper and the greenfly fly from plant to plant. The grasshoppers chirp merrily: especially the button grasshopper and the heath grasshopper can be found along the sandy paths.

If you are lucky, you will see the viviparous lizard dart away, looking for shelter in the flora. On the way, you will pass the Wedelse Molen. You will have almost completed half of the bike ride when you reach the Wedelse Molen in Overpelt. According to some sources, there was already a mill on this spot in the eighth century. If these sources are correct, the Wedelse Molen is the oldest water mill that grinds on the Dommel, and probably even the oldest water mill in the Benelux, although this has never been supported by archaeological evidence. The Wedelse Molen was rebuilt in 1765, when the current building was placed. The lock system, the bank reinforcement and the mill are a protected monument and the area is a protected village view. In this way, the authenticity of the mill is preserved.