National Park Trail 110 km long-distance hike

Leading Quality Trail!

The National Park Trail through the Hoge Kempen National Park was awarded the Leading Quality Label in December 2022, making it one of the 25 best long-distance walks in Europe! This qualification is not easy to obtain. At least 80% of the route must be on unpaved paths. More than 90% must be outside built-up or disturbed areas and no more than 3% may be along a busy road. The trail is now in good company with the Mullerthal Trail (L), De Eislec (L + B), the Moselsteig (D), the Kullaleden (Z), the Traversée du Massif des Vosges (F) and the Rota Vicentina (P), among others, and is the only one of its kind in Flanders.

A classic among long-distance walks

Since then, the trail has become a classic for lovers of multi-day walking tours. You walk in the direction of your choice and spread the walk over several days. Most walkers opt for 4 to 5 day stages of approximately 20 km: perfect for a midweek or longer weekend of walking pleasure.

How do you walk the National Park Trail?

With the map: As a guest of LeefJeNatuur, you can use the exclusive National Park topographical map free of charge in your holiday home.

GPS/GPX: With the GPX file on your walking GPS or smartphone.

Signposting: The entire trail is signposted in both directions. Follow these signs to complete the 110 km loop. It is best to do this in combination with either the map or the GPX route.

The five basic stages

Do you really want to see all the highlights of the Hoge Kempen National Park? Then you should, of course, do the entire 110 km walking loop/trail. You can add a loop or variation along the Munsterbos. We recommend splitting it into 4 or 5 days. Each stage starts and ends at an entrance gate to the Hoge Kempen National Park.

Stage 1: KATTEVENNEN - PIETERSHEIM (23.8 km)

You will mainly walk through extensive forests on the southernmost foothills of the Kempen Plateau. The Papendaalheide and -plas provide variety. In the De Hoefaart nature reserve, you can see impressive beaver activity on the edge of the Kempen plateau in the upper reaches of the Molenbeek.

Stage 2: PIETERSHEIM - TERHILLS (23.9 km)

You walk from south to north along the edge of the Kempen Plateau, discovering the heathland and the Ziepbeek valley. On the Mechelse heath, you can enjoy panoramic views and the first hills.

Stage 3: TERHILLS - DUINENGORDEL (22.6 km)

Like the previous stage, this one runs from south to north along the edge of the Kempen Plateau. You start with three climbs and continue through the Dilserbos to Bergerven and the Bosbeek.

Stage 4: DUINENGORDEL - THORPARK (26.8 km)

You start with a series of inland dunes and fens. Then you continue through heathland and forest to the Thorpark mine terrils for beautiful views.

Stage 5: THORPARK - KATTEVENNEN (11 km)

Via the Stiemerbeek valley and wooded area, you will return to Kattevennen.

Holiday home De Luysmolen as a base

Although the house is not located in the National Park, it is an ideal base for this trail or the Kempenbroektrail. As former pilgrims to Santiago, we have a soft spot for long-distance trails. For groups of up to 8 people, we provide a pick-up and drop-off service to and from the various access points. So no hassle with packing and unpacking your luggage every time. Just bring your daypack, put on your walking shoes and we will take you to the departure point by minibus and pick you up again on arrival. This service must be clearly communicated in advance when bookingso that we can adjust our schedule accordingly.