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Natural Monuments

Wallonie

Oude Geldenaaksebaan - Historic road

Natural Monuments

Wallonie

Oude Geldenaaksebaan - Historic road

Highlight (Segment) • Historical Site

Oude Geldenaaksebaan - Historic road

Name: Oude Geldenaaksebaan - Historic road
Rating: 2

Recommended by 46 hikers

This Highlight goes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Nationaal Park Brabantse Wouden

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Location: Beauvechain, Nivelles, Walloon Brabant, Wallonie, Wallonia, Belgium

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Best Hiking Routes to Oude Geldenaaksebaan - Historic road

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1. Avenue in Meerdaalwoud – Mollendaal Shelter loop from Bierbeek

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Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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2. Avenue in Meerdaalwoud – Mollendaal Shelter loop from Sint-Joris-Weert

26.0km

06:50

230m

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

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5.0

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3. Mollendaal Shelter – Church Road loop from Bierbeek

14.9km

03:54

110m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Moderate

Tips

🇧🇪 Herwig Aertbeliën

May 17, 2021

A quiet country road along old farms goes straight through the landscape, but sometimes disappears in sunken roads.
These bits of sunken roads are charming. Many hikers and cycling enthusiasts appreciate this piece of historic road.
This road from Leuven to Geldenaken (Jodoigne) was for centuries an important route for soldiers, merchants, clergy and noble ladies and gentlemen.

History in a nutshell:
The Oude Geldenaaksebaan was part of the historic main road between Leuven and Geldenaken or Jodoigne that ran southwards over the various village coulters. The road connects to the Nieuwe Geldenaaksebaan and the cobbled Bevekomsestraat and is thus part of the 'Grand Chemin' as stated on the Villaret map. An undated map indicates this road as 'voetwegh' from Geldenaken to Leuven when the road was clearly not yet paved. This footpath is also mentioned on a 17th-century map from the map book of the Park Abbey in Heverlee.

Translated by Google •

May 1, 2025

The cobbled section is recognized as landscape heritage. The Oude Geldenaaksebaan leads from the hamlet of Bet past Mareveld southwards and changes into the Nieuwe Geldenaaksebaan towards Mollendaal. It is a mixed cobbled road constructed in half-brick bond with an alternation of porphyry, Petit Granit and Tiense quartzite. The cobbled road has a reasonably flat profile and was recently reconstructed and provided with sewerage and drainage channels. In a limited number of places, there are still kerbs in Petit Granit. The cobbled road is briefly interrupted and continues as an unpaved sunken road to change into a cobbled road again at the intersection with the Smisstraat.

In the course of the 18th and 19th centuries, many previously unpaved connecting roads were cobbled to improve driving comfort. The Oude Geldenaaksebaan had lost its importance in the 19th century in favour of the road that passed through the centre of Bierbeek and was probably not paved until around the middle of the 20th century. The section of road that gave access to the Bergenhof reclamation farm was the first to be paved. The rest of the road only served as a loading road for the surrounding agricultural land and was only paved in the 1970s in function of the increasing development.

Inventory of Immovable Heritage: Kasseiweg Oude Geldenaaksebaan, id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/307633

Translated by Google •

Jeff S

September 25, 2022

Where the world still stands still...

Translated by Google •

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Details

Informations

Distance 2.17 km

Uphill 20 m

Downhill 30 m

Weather

Monday 8 December

14°C

10°C

0 %

If you start your activity now...

Max wind speed: 22.0 km/h

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Location: Beauvechain, Nivelles, Walloon Brabant, Wallonie, Wallonia, Belgium

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Oude Geldenaaksebaan - Historic road

1. Avenue in Meerdaalwoud – Mollendaal Shelter loop from Bierbeek

2. Avenue in Meerdaalwoud – Mollendaal Shelter loop from Sint-Joris-Weert

3. Mollendaal Shelter – Church Road loop from Bierbeek

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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