From nature to culture in Turnhout

Turnhout is the capital of the Kempen, the city of beguines, fens and bunkers. This walk leads you through the rich history of this beautiful city: past the robust fortress, wide moat and the impressive castle of the Dukes of Brabant. Outside the city you can wander through a rugged fen area, hidden for years under dull coniferous forest.

Silence in the city

The picturesque beguinage dates back to the 14th century. In this oasis of tranquility right in the center you will find cozy houses, authentic cobblestones, green hedges, old water pumps and wrought iron street lamps. Only the chirping of birds does not make this a completely silent place. The beguinage, together with sixteen other Flemish beguinages, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998. The last beguine died here in 2002. You will find a museum to learn more about the Beguine culture.

heath and fens

The walk also takes you outside the city walls. The municipality is doing everything it can to restore the heath and fen landscape. Monotonous conifers are cut, as well as the American oak. The open landscape is increasingly resembling what it looked like before the twentieth century. Past the Koeven you meander alternately through cornfields and rugged grassland. And along the Bels Lijntje, the former railway line to Tilburg, there is a huge watchtower. At the top you will be rewarded with a view of an open landscape with woolly dots in the distance, like a sheep painting.

Copyright photos\\\'s: Mie De Backer