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Belgium

Flanders

Flemish Brabant

Leuven

Tremelo

Information board The history of the Fonteyn pits

Discover

Places to see

Belgium

Flanders

Flemish Brabant

Leuven

Tremelo

Information board The history of the Fonteyn pits

Recommended by 35 hikers out of 36

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Location: Tremelo, Leuven, Flemish Brabant, Flanders, Belgium

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Best Hikes to Information board The history of the Fonteyn pits

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1. Laakbos – Meanders of the Dijle loop from Tremelo

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2. Meanders of the Dijle – Gravel at the Dijle loop from Tremelo

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3. Meanders of the Dijle – Laakbos loop from Werchter

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Tips

Viviane

August 3, 2022

Always interesting if you are interested in the history of the area

Translated by Google •

July 11, 2025

The story of these former peat pits begins as it often does. Once upon a time, there was someone with a lot of money, in this case a Leuven annuitant named Prosper Fonteyn.

In 1890, he bought a piece of marshy land, in this case an old meander of the Demer River with a donk (a section that never floods). He built a villa/castle nearby, named 'Villa des Brochets'. He also recruited volunteers to dredge this marshy area with its peat pits. Because that was fuel.

He also had some ponds dug for fish. Prosper was also quite a sociable fellow; every year he organized a competition for line fishermen, to which people came by special trams, even from quite a distance.

In 1914, the Germans set fire to his castle. After the war, it was rebuilt, and you can still see it from the marsh.

At that time, the marsh was somewhat dry, so I was able to go into it a bit. It is located right next to the hiking trail where the information board is located.

Translated by Google •

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Elevation 10 m

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Sunday 14 September

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Max wind speed: 11.0 km/h

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Take Me There

Location: Tremelo, Leuven, Flemish Brabant, Flanders, Belgium

Information board The history of the Fonteyn pits

1. Laakbos – Meanders of the Dijle loop from Tremelo

2. Meanders of the Dijle – Gravel at the Dijle loop from Tremelo

3. Meanders of the Dijle – Laakbos loop from Werchter

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