On and around the Kalmthoutse Heide

Cycling junctions have great advantages: the route description can be shorter and the route a bit longer. We present you almost 50 km of cycling route in and around Kalmthout, in three parts, each with a separate character: 19 km through spacious residential areas, 17 km through an open agricultural landscape and finally, the icing on the cake, 10 km through the Kalmthoutse Heide.

Through spacious residential areas: 81 – 79 – 74 – 76 – 39 – 38 – 27 – 72. Appointment at heide-kalmthout station. Cycle past the church, direction junction 8 You turn left into the Minnedreef and then you are off for an impressive trip through majestic lanes and avenues. Along the Pretlaan you follow the railway. Cross it and you are in Kapellen. From junction 74, follow Heidestraat-Noord and cross the Antitankkanaal. The drift part has briefly made way for forest and military domain. You cycle straight for a long time until an arrow sends you into the Wolvenbosdreef. At the end, turn left and cycle along the railway again. At junction 76 you turn back into a residential area. You bolt past a polo field and eventually end up in Hoogboom (Kapellen). Cycle past the church and cemetery. Just past the entrance of domain De Oude Gracht, you enter the territory of Brasschaat. At Domein Oud Eikelenberg, turn left into Mishagen, named after Mishagen Castle, which you can admire a little further. Again you cross the Antitankkanaal and at the end follow the Ploegsebaan to the left. You cycle on a wide concrete road, through military area and pass the military airport. A few hundred meters before the concrete road ends, turn left and cycle straight towards the gate of a military domain. Just before, you cross a bridge and via a short, unpaved path, you cycle again into a residential area of Kalmthout. On the right, behind a tree belt, is the Klein Schietveld.The military government owns this 900 ha nature area, and forest and greenery of the Flemish Community is responsible for the management of fauna and flora. You follow the wooded military domain for a while and reach junction 72. Here is the Suske-en-Wiske museum. On the other side, take the crossing for cyclists and pedestrians and cycle into the Akkerweg.
2. Between fields and meadows: 72 – 71 – 70 – 58 – 59 – 22 – 23 – 14 – 24 – 89. Once past ice farm 't Akkerhof, you drive through an open agricultural landscape. On the left you see the church of Kalmthout. You cycle for a long time on narrow roads, between fields and meadows, with a farm here and there. Then you come to the Bakkersmolen in Wildert (Essen), the youngest mill in the country, in 1982. With bakery and steam museum and a Molenhoeve for a drink and a drink. It now continues, towards junction 58. Cycle along a narrow cycle path between the meadows and further over the undulating Wildertse Duintjes. Once out of the forest you cycle again between meadows and fields. At junction 22 you make a right-left nod and cycle past some picturesque houses. The path narrows and you bolt between two hedgerows and then between meadows and fields. On the left you can see the church tower of the Redemptorist College of the Eucharistic Heart with a Sacred Heart statue of 4.5 m high on the spire. It continues along a beautiful oak drive. On the corner of Papenmoerstraat, a chapel under a lime tree bears witness to (faded) popular devotion.
3. Along and through the Kalmthoutse Heide: 89 – 80 – 25 – 81. You cycle along and through the Kalmthoutse Heide, the largest Flemish nature reserve, a varied landscape of dry and wet heathland, fens, drifting dunes and forests. You will arrive at the Visitor Center De Vroente, definitely worth a last stop. With all questions about the heath you can go there. Through the forest and the Guido Gezellelaan you come back to the starting point.