Jan Huet Pad - a painting route through the Kempen

This walk takes you through the beautiful nature in the border region of the provinces of Antwerp and North Brabant. Between Hoogstraten and Baarle-Nassau you walk through an unspoiled landscape of meadows, forests, heathlands and old dikes.

A large part of the route you walk on the Jan Huet path. This route is a tribute to the artist Jan Huet who was born in this region (in Wortel). He loved the natural beauty of Kempen. While walking you experience for yourself how beautiful the Kempen landscape is that inspired Huet so much.

You cross Het Merkske twice, a meandering stream that forms the rugged border between the Netherlands and Belgium in several parts. The path can become damp, especially in the stream valley. So make sure you have good walking shoes, so that you can optimally enjoy the special plants and flowers that you encounter around you. Incidentally, this used to be a poorly accessible, wild area - and therefore a perfect hiding place for robbers and other riffraff.

In 1821, this area still had 14 fens. Now there is only one left: the Bootjesven, a natural fen where peat was extracted. You can still see some rare herbs growing there. On the Torendreef you are surrounded by a wall of American oaks. Halfway along, on the right, is the lonely vagrants' cemetery from 1870. A little later you see where this avenue gets its name from: on the horizon, the tower of the Sint-Catharinakerk in Hoogstraten looms up. At 104.7 metres, this is the third highest church tower in Belgium.