The magic of the Belgian mining region

The former mining region in Belgian Limburg is a region rich in nature. Around the towns of Koersel, Zolder and Zonhoven you cycle through various forests, heathlands and stream valleys. You will also pass through a number of villages where you will experience the typical Limburg geniality. And the Burgundian slant: there is always a terrace where a delicious fresh Limburg pie is served. You cycle a few kilometers on the towpath along the Albert Canal. You pass the Bolderberg, a hill millions of years old. At 60 meters, the hill is one of the highest peaks in Belgian Limburg. Once you have crossed the canal, you cycle past the Herkenrode Abbey, which was founded around 1182. Nothing has been preserved from the twelfth-century monastery. The buildings that you can still admire today date from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries. Around Zonhoven you cycle through the De Teut nature reserve. Here you can see what the local heathland looked like a century ago. The Laambeek, Roosterbeek and Slangbeek meander in the sandy bottom on the slopes. All three flow into the Demer. You will find fens and fresh-smelling pine forests. At Zolder you can see the heritage from the mining era, with the mine slag heap as the literal highlight. This mountain of waste stone towers 85 meters into the air. At the top, a panoramic view and numerous queen pages compete for your attention. The former black gold has been forged into a green diamond in recent years. A beautiful and precious nature reserve has been created around this slag heap with an area of 124 hectares. Several rare birds cross the skies, such as the kingfisher and nightjar. On the Koerselse Heide you will pass the Chapel of Our Lady on the Staak, a place of pilgrimage. According to tradition, a man got lost in this nature reserve in 1826. Because he had nothing left to drink and was in danger of dying, he called upon Saint Mary. And behold, a spring of healing water gushed forth. Out of gratitude, the man placed a stake with a statue of Mary there. A chapel was also built, the choir of which dates from 1833. There is also an eighteenth-century Trinity painting. The source still exists, although the water now comes from a tap.