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 through stream valleys. You also pass through a number of villages where you experience the typical Limburg cosiness. And the Burgundian character: there is always a terrace to be found where a delicious fresh Limburg pie is served. You cycle a few kilometres on the towpath along the Albert Canal. You pass the Bolderberg, a hill that is millions of years old. At 60 metres, 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 of the twelfth-century monastery. The buildings that you can still admire there now date from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century. Around Zonhoven you cycle through the De Teut nature reserve. Here you can still see what the local heathland looked like a century ago. The Laambeek, Roosterbeek and Slangbeek meander in the sandy soil on the slopes. All three flow into the Demer. You will find fens and fresh-smelling pine forests there. At Zolder you can see the heritage from the mining era, with the mine spoil tip as the literal highlight. This mountain of waste stone towers 85 metres into the sky. At the top, a wide view and the 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 with an area of 124 hectares has been created around this spoil tip. Various rare birds cross the airspace, such as the kingfisher and the nightjar. On the Koerselse Heide you will pass the Chapel of Our Lady at 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 on the Holy Mary. And behold, a spring sprang up with healing water. In gratitude, the man placed a stake with a statue of Mary there. A chapel was also built, the choir of which dates back to 1833. An eighteenth-century Trinity painting also hangs there. The spring still exists, although the water now comes from a tap.