Balen Sand Dunes

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16.5 km
24 m
03h17
Easy

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Route information

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Last verified: 23 May 2025

Description by the author

53 - 8 - 9 - 96 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 10 - 12 - 162 - 13 - 93 - 15 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 7 - 53

The start of this route is located at Recreation and Nature Park Keiheuvel in Balen. The name of the hiking network (Kempense Landduinen) says it all: dunes appear here and there in the landscape, remnants of ancient drift dunes. You pass beautiful stretches of nature and surprisingly quiet spots.

Here you will discover the Antwerp Kempen at its best: you will see that dunes are not only to be found by the sea. The first part of the hike runs through the Keiheuvel nature reserve, where you will see the occasional glider launching or landing over the beautiful landscape. This protected area contains valuable plants and animals in a beautiful landscape. A few miles further on you'll hike through De Most, a wet valley area that contrasts with the dry land dunes you've just discovered. In wet weather it can be swampy here; we did the hike on a dry day and this was quite doable.

Adapted footwear, especially after a wet period, is recommended. After about 7 km of walking you come to Kerkhoven where you can deviate briefly from the route and cross the bridge over the canal to Beverlo, surrounded by peace and quiet. On the other side of this canal is an extremely cozy resting place: Restaurant Taverne de Waterkant. Then you walk back along the canal and past meadows and forests towards Keiheuvel.

Route origin

Route description

Region

Statistics

Difficulty level: Easy (37/100)

Length: 16.5 km

Duration: 03h17


Total ascent: 24 m

Maximal slope: 0.37 %

Average slope: 0.15 %

Net ascent: 0 m

Total descent: 24 m

Roads and subsoil

Paved roads: 6.39 km (39 %)

Cobblestones: 0 m (0 %)

Scenery

Car free roads: 10.1 km (61 %)

Noise pollution

Amount of traffic


Natural area

Urban area

Water rich area

Characteristics

    Themes

      Groups

        Start and end of the route

        Navigate to starting point

        Places of interest

        1. Recreation and Nature Park Keiheuvel

          0 · Nature park
          Keiheuvel is a recreation area and nature reserve in the Belgian municipality of Balen. It is …
          ROUTELAND
        2. Recreation and Nature Park Keiheuvel vzw

          0 · Play-centre
          The Keiheuvel Recreation Area is located in the heart of the Kempen in a vast green oasis. Ideal …
          Toerisme Provincie Antwerpen
        3. Balen-Keiheuvel Aerodrome

          0 · Airport
          Balen-Keiheuvel Aerodrome is a private general aviation airfield located in Keiheuvel-Balen, a …
          Wikipedia
        4. KEIMANNETJES WALK - A discovery walk in the nature of the Keiheuvel!

          0 · Walk

          A discovery walk in the nature of the Keiheuvel for all little adventurers from 4 years old Every …

          ROUTELAND
        5. Sand bee and frame on the landscape

          0 · Area

          Stop for a moment to enjoy the beautiful landscape. We have placed this framework specifically for …

          Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos
        6. Boulder Hill

          0 · Recreation
          Keiheuvel is a recreation area and nature reserve in the Belgian municipality of Balen. It is …
          Wikipedia
        7. Castle De Most

          0 · Castle
          Castle ascending to 1876-1878 when a new castle was built to replace an older country residence. …
          Onroerend Erfgoed Vlaanderen
        8. Most-Keiheuvel

          0 · Forest
          The Most-Keiheuvel is an area of 540 hectares located along the Grote Nete in the municipality of …
          Toerisme Provincie Antwerpen
        9. Magpie heath

          0 · Heath

          After restoring the land dune vegetation by cutting down the pine forest, we opted for the …

          Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos
        10. Duck bomb

          0 · Pond

          Here you are on the transition from wet to dry, a gradient that makes the area such a hotspot for …

          Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos
        11. Restaurant Lommel Broek

          0 · Pub
          Taverne Lommel Broek is quietly located in nature. This makes it an ideal starting point for your …
          Jouw route op het Limburgse Fietsroutenetwerk
        12. Tavern Lommel Broek

          0 · Eatery
          Taverne Lommel Broek is quietly located in nature. This makes it an ideal starting point for your …
          Visit Limburg
        13. Workers' House

          0 · House
          Example of a typical worker's house with a hedged front garden. Detached, partly white-painted …
          Onroerend Erfgoed Vlaanderen
        14. Parish Church of St. John the Baptist

          0 · Church
          Southeast-northwest-oriented place of worship, located on the corner with the Kerkweg, on a …
          Onroerend Erfgoed Vlaanderen
        15. St. John the Baptist Church

          0 · Church
          The neo-Gothic church was built in brick from 1852 to 1855 by the architect Lambert Jaminé, with …
          Wikipedia
        16. School and teacher's house

          0 · School
          Former municipal boys' school with accompanying teacher's house from 1906, designed by J. Taeymans …
          Onroerend Erfgoed Vlaanderen
        17. Canal to Beverlo

          0 · Canal
          The canal to Beverlo was built in a record time of 3 years. The excavation was started in 1854. It …
          De Willemsroute
        18. Top mill

          0 · Mill
          The Topmolen in Balen is a small watermill built in 1850. The name "top mill" came about because …
          Toerisme Provincie Antwerpen
        19. Watermill Topmolen and miller's house

          0 · Watermill
          Small watermill from 1850, located on the Zweilingsloop, an artificially constructed tributary …
          Onroerend Erfgoed Vlaanderen
        20. Top mill

          0 · Mill
          The Topmolen is a watermill on the Zweilingsloop in the De Vennen nature reserve in the Belgian …
          Wikipedia
        21. De Zandput

          0 · B&B
          tvl
        22. Beat The Barn

          0 · Company
          Are you looking for an active and unique team building or activity? The pure whey feeling of the …
          Toerisme Provincie Antwerpen
        23. Beat the Barn

          0 · Expo area
          'Beat the Barn' in Balen presents a unique and original team building package on an active farm.
          Toerisme Provincie Antwerpen
        24. Brook lamprey

          0 · Natural phenomena
          You can see the brook lamprey swimming in the Grote Nete. This needle-shaped fish is endangered in …
          Natuurmagazine Roots
        25. Bartis

          1 · Restaurant
          Bart Goris and his wife Cecile have been running their traditional catering butcher Bartis on the …
          Toerisme Provincie Antwerpen
        26. Play forest

          0 · Play woods
          Owner: Private Access: 1 Jan - 31 Dec
          Bouwen aan groen speelweefsel
        27. Royal Aeroclub Keiheuvel asbl

          0 · Airport
          The Royal Aeroclub Keiheuvel in Balen offers training and initiations in motor flying and gliding. …
          Toerisme Provincie Antwerpen

        Comments

        Activities

        Nearby

        Routes nearby

        Lodging nearby

        Services nearby

        Recreation and Nature Park Keiheuvel
        Recreation and Nature Park Keiheuvel vzw
        Balen-Keiheuvel Aerodrome
        KEIMANNETJES WALK - A discovery walk in the nature of the Keiheuvel!
        Sand bee and frame on the landscape
        Boulder Hill
        Castle De Most
        Most-Keiheuvel
        Magpie heath
        Duck bomb
        Restaurant Lommel Broek
        Tavern Lommel Broek
        Workers' House
        Parish Church of St. John the Baptist
        St. John the Baptist Church
        School and teacher's house
        Canal to Beverlo
        Top mill
        Watermill Topmolen and miller's house
        Top mill
        De Zandput
        Beat The Barn
        Beat the Barn
        Brook lamprey
        Bartis
        Play forest
        Royal Aeroclub Keiheuvel asbl
        0 km1 km1 km2 km2 km3 km3 km4 km4 km5 km5 km6 km6 km7 km7 km8 km8 km9 km9 km10 km10 km11 km11 km12 km12 km13 km13 km14 km14 km15 km15 km16 km16 km16 km30 m43 m
        PLUS
        500 m

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