Through villages and towns, enjoying beautiful Belgium

This route takes you to the rural area around Ham, a town in Belgian Limburg. You drive through quiet agricultural area and through towns such as Engsbergen, Deurne and Beringen. Just above Tessenderlo you cycle through the valley of the Kleine Laak. The stream meanders carefree through the land here. In the valley you will still find natural biotopes, such as alder swamp forests, sedge, reed grass and honeysuckle. A little further on you enter the woods of Gerhagen, an almost 1000-hectare sanctuary. In the lower part you drive past meadows and fields. Higher up you drive through forests and past heathland and shifting sands. At Bosmuseum Gerhagen there is a watchtower of almost 19 meters high. Those who dare to climb the mountain will be rewarded with a magnificent view of the area. The route takes you along the Paalse Plas, an oasis of greenery and water. On one of the sofas you can relax or take a snack. The route continues along the Albert Canal near Beringen. This waterway is part of the Scheldt-Meuse-Rhine connection that Napoleon Bonaparte wanted to achieve with his Grand Canal du Nord. This route starts and ends in the Municipality of Ham. You will find a number of special monuments here, such as the seventeenth-century rectory of Oostham. The church of Oostham even has the oldest church tower (from the tenth century) in the Benelux. After your beautiful trip you will find plenty of opportunities in Ham for lunch, dinner or just a drink and a fresh Limburg pie. Route 181623 also starts from Ham.