After your departure at the Bokrijk open-air museum, you immediately step into the vast pond landscape. Walk through the iconic ‘Cycling through Water’ and come face to face with swans and other water birds.

Via the charming ‘Domein Kiewit’, where farm animals and galloways welcome you, you step into the patchwork of ponds in the nature reserves ‘Platwijers’ and ‘Wijvenheide’. Here you can spot numerous water and marsh birds and enjoy a breathtaking view of the ponds from the observation tower. Quite a few ponds here have been used for fish farming for years, but there are also naturally managed ponds. Birds such as bitterns and herons enjoy fishing.

Via quiet rural lanes and wooded paths you walk to the Albert Canal, while the imposing Herkenrode Abbey looms in the distance.

This starting point is the ideal starting point if you come by public transport. Bokrijk station is nearby.
If you come by car, you better leave from one of the other starting points, where you have free parking.
Do you want to return to the starting point in Bokrijk by public transport?
Take bus 51 (departure at Herkenrode Brug stop) to Hasselt station and get on the IC train to Genk (get off at Bokrijk station)