Kluisbergen and its forests

Walk along the Kwaremont junctions. From Kwaremont you walk with a north bend to the forest of Carillon and Fonteinbos. Then direction Kalkovenbos and Feelbos to Kluisbos. Walk through the Kluisbos from east to west, then return by a loop and leave the forest heading north. Then walk to Kwaremont and leave.

Junctions: 69-70-65-20-16-38-18-39-12-11-17-40-46-19-43-9-52-76-53-8-7-2-8-53-76-22-21-37

Kwaremont

The village of Kwaremont is located in the Belgian province of East Flanders in the Flemish Ardennes. The village owes its fame mainly because of the hill, the Oude Kwaremont. The village of Kwaremont owes its name to the Gallo-Roman name of the hill on which the village is built. He called the hill, the square mountain. The main attraction of the village is the Saint-Amade church. The village owes its national fame to the cobbled hill "Oude Kwaremont". During the Tour of Flanders, Oude Kwaremont has been the leading judge of the race for several years.

Carillon Forest and Fountain Forest

The Carillon Forest and the Fonteinbos are located in a typical Flemish Ardennes landscape with hills, deeply incised stream valleys and wooded hills. A spring stream rises in the forest. The Beiaardbos and Fonteinbos are two forest reserves (Beiaardbos and Fonteinbos) in the Flemish Ardennes in southeastern Flanders (Belgium). The Carillon Forest and Fonteinbos have an area of 15 ha and are managed as a forest reserve by the Flemish Public Service Agency for Nature and Forest and by Natuurpunt. The reserves are located on the territory of the municipality of Kluisbergen, are Natura 2000 areas recognised by Europe (forests of the Flemish Ardennes and other forests of South Flanders) and are part of the Flemish ecological network.

Kalkhovenbos and Feelbos

Kalkoven is a mini nature reserve (1.28 ha) managed by Natuurpunt Vlaamse Ardennen.

The Feelbos is a forest area in the Flemish Ardennes in southeastern Flanders. The Feelbos covers 11.76 ha and is managed by a private owner. The hilly deciduous forest is located on the territory of the municipality of Kluisbergen. Feelbos is a spring-rich forest with dominant species of Canadian ash, beech and poplar. The biological evaluation map describes Feelbos as very valuable and its northern ramification as valuable. In the well-developed herbaceous layer of the forest grow bitter cherry trees, giant horsetails and spring flowers such as wild hyacinth, forest anemone and periwinkle. The Feelbos is a Natura 2000 area recognised by Europe and is part of the Flemish ecological network.

Kluisbos

The Kluisbos is a nature reserve (partly domain forest, part state forest, partly forest reserve (Pensemont/Doveleenbos)) in the Flemish Ardennes in south-east Flanders and the Pays des Collines in Hainaut (Belgium). The forest area is about 300 hectares. The Flemish part is 200 hectares and is located on the territory of the municipality of Kluisbergen (districts of Ruien and Kwaremont). The Walloon part (Bois de l'Enclus) covers 100 hectares and is located on the territory of the municipalities: Rozenaken, Orroir and Amougies in Pays des Collines. The Flemish part of the forest is managed by the Public Service Agency for Nature and Forestry. The forest is recognised as a European Natura 2000 area as part of the forests of the Flemish Ardennes and other forests of South Flanders (BE230007) and is part of the Flemish ecological network. The Bois de l'Enclus on the Hainaut side is protected at European level as part of the Natura 2000 'Pays des Collines' area.

The Kluisbos is a rich forest and is located on the side of the Kluisberg witness hill. In the Kluisbos are "Peetje en Meetje". These are two large rocks that form the pedestals of a dolmen, a sacrificial table of Celtic Druids. In the time of Charlemagne, justice was administered in the time of Charlemagne. There is also a burial mound in the forest. Love Spring is one of the places in the forest where spring water rises to the surface. Another attraction is the Tower. Here, beggars in the forest would have spoken to people in the past to convert them to Protestantism. The Catholics fiercely chased these beggars out of the forest, so they hid in hard-to-reach places, such as the Kluisbos. Later, the tower would have been used as a lookout by the army of Napoleon Bonaparte.

The felled trees remain in the forest reserve and thus form a hiding place for many insects such as the large ground beetle. These in turn form food for the many feathered inhabitants of the forest such as the shiny head, crest, black, golden rooster, gray flycatcher and tawny owl, buzzard and wasp thief. The spring streams and some pools are also an attraction for many animals, such as the fire salamander and common bronlibel.

Most of the trees were planted after the First World War with Bavarian planting material. Although beech is important, there are also other species in this mixed forest such as oak, maple, birch and chestnut. Along the ravines in the valleys of fast streams, there is a forest of ash springs with ash, alder, hazel, Gelderland roses and common cherry trees. In spring, wild hyacinth blooms in the Kluisbos. Other products include forest anemone, yellow deaf nettle, yellow star sheath, white sorrel and periwinkle. In the forest reserve there are fungi such as fan, stump fungus, tuberculous umbrella and mowing fungus.