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Hoofsweer Clay Pits Nature Reserve

Discover

Places to see

Belgium

Flanders

Antwerp

Brecht

Hoofsweer Clay Pits Nature Reserve

Recommended by 58 hikers out of 60

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Location: Brecht, Antwerp, Antwerp, Flanders, Belgium

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Best Hikes to Hoofsweer Clay Pits Nature Reserve

4.6

(53)

247

hikers

1. Kooldries Old Clay Pit Pond – Viewing platform loop from Brecht

5.76km

01:28

10m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

4.4

(28)

118

hikers

2. Vraagheide Forest Trails – Kooldries Old Clay Pit Pond loop from Sint-Antonius

21.2km

05:20

30m

Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Expert

4.5

(40)

187

hikers

3. Kooldries Old Clay Pit Pond – Old Mill loop from Brecht

7.44km

01:53

10m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

Tips

🇧🇪 Herwig Aertbeliën

March 7, 2021

Hoofsweer, a nature reserve where old clay pits bear witness to a distant past.

Characteristic of this nature reserve is that the old wells are more linear and contain more water than the clay wells of Kooldries.

There is a bird watching wall near the largest old clay pit, located on the central axis.

The walking path initially takes you along narrow paths that form a berm between the old clay pits. These old clay pits are witnesses to the former industrial clay extraction. You will regularly find clay pits along the entire route of the Kempen Canal.

The clay that was mined in the Noorderkempen in the 19th and 20th centuries was only at a depth of 0.50 to 1 meter.

Today the clay pits are filled with water.

Today, water birds take great pleasure in the old clay pits. You can observe their lifestyle along the banks.

These old clay pits of Hoofsweer are definitely worth a visit!

As a hiker you can discover the area via hiking trails.

You can visit these old clay pits with a stroller or wheelchair.

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Dirk V 🚲 🚶📷

March 28, 2023

The Kooldries-Hoofsweer is only accessible to walkers. The Paepestraat that separates the two areas is accessible to cyclists. Hikers can discover the area via a number of marked hiking trails. During the digging of this canal in the 19th century, thick layers of clay were noticed in the subsoil. After the clay extraction, the wells fell into disrepair, filled with rainwater and eventually covered with willow thickets. Due to the underlying clay layer, the area is characterized as a highly dynamic system of drying out and rewetting, as a result of which the Kooldries-Hoofsweer is home to a unique fauna and flora. Bird species such as little grebe, woodpeckers, nuthatches, orioles, tree falcons and kingfishers find refuge in the large clay pits. They are adventurous walks because the paths are not paved. It is therefore advisable to wear good walking shoes or boots. Buggies and prams are difficult to handle in the area.

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Dave

January 31, 2021

Nature area de Hoofsweer ...

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Elevation 30 m

Weather

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Wednesday 17 September

17°C

16°C

100 %

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Max wind speed: 13.0 km/h

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Location: Brecht, Antwerp, Antwerp, Flanders, Belgium

Hoofsweer Clay Pits Nature Reserve

1. Kooldries Old Clay Pit Pond – Viewing platform loop from Brecht

2. Vraagheide Forest Trails – Kooldries Old Clay Pit Pond loop from Sint-Antonius

3. Kooldries Old Clay Pit Pond – Old Mill loop from Brecht

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