Routes

Planner

Features

Updates

App

Get the App

Natural Monuments

't Plat Nature Reserve and Tatau Art Trail

Natural Monuments

't Plat Nature Reserve and Tatau Art Trail

Highlight • Natural

't Plat Nature Reserve and Tatau Art Trail

Recommended by 26 hikers out of 29

Save

Location: Overpelt, Maaseik, South Limburg, Flanders, Belgium

Save

See hikes here

Take Me There

Routes here

Best Hikes to 't Plat Nature Reserve and Tatau Art Trail

3.8

(15)

111

hikers

1. Pond by the Holvenloop – Bench With a View of the Field loop from Overpelt

6.53km

01:39

20m

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

Navigate

Send to Phone

Save

Easy

3.7

(9)

hikers

2. Wooden Bridge – Abandoned Forest Cabin loop from Overpelt

4.58km

01:10

10m

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

Navigate

Send to Phone

Save

Easy

4.6

(7)

hikers

3. Pond by the Holvenloop – Hobos Estate Manor House loop from Eksel

22.8km

05:46

50m

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

Navigate

Send to Phone

Save

Hard

Tips

May 18, 2024

In Holheide, a church village that is part of Overpelt and located near Lommel, you will find the 't Plat nature reserve. There is a parking lot here for walking in the area with the necessary information signs and all kinds of extra information. It is an old swamp area around the Holvense stream - or what remains of it. Mainly wet heathland with a fen that was created by digging peat and the layer underneath (slot). There is dry heath, wet heath (heather, sundew, swamp clubmoss) and there is alder swamp forest with swamp remnants (wet places) and quite a lot of wild gale (how wonderful that smells). Reportedly also many amphibians, viviparous lizards, salamander species and slow worms, but we did not see them because we were on a GR walk. There is indeed a lot of gale and yellow iris, but not in the dark part with the short boardwalk between the alder forest. All in all quite beautiful and above all a very unexpected and pleasant place with lots of biodiversity between the forests of Lommel (Kattenbos) and the Dommel Valley in and above the Hobos nature reserve. Natuurpunt manages it and it is part of Bosland. Quite interesting was the permanent "land art" exhibition on a path marked out for this purpose (as I later read). That is by the local artists who call themselves Tatau. Unfortunately, the works of art that have been there have often become somewhat worn since 2015 and the accompanying signs have almost completely faded - which makes it less interesting. I think I understand that Tatau is no longer very active in 't Plat. Tatau's work that is on Komoot is the "Con-Tak-Toren" in Overpelt, which you can find at komoot.com/nl-nl/highlight/6014733

- More about Tatau's path here at groeptatau.wixsite.com/groeptatau/t-plat (the stones painted with birds indicate the path).

- More about 't Plat at natuurpunt.be/natuurbanden/t-plat

Translated by Google •

May 18, 2024

In Tatau's work, which you can see here and there among the wilder nature, there is something that refers to the Jewish labor camp of Overpelt. During the World War, the Germans indeed had a labor camp here for a short time where Jewish prisoners had to scrape off the top layer of the heathland to be reclaimed to fill a shallow swamp. The camp was located in what is now the 't Plat nature reserve. More in the video below.

Translated by Google •

An 🇧🇪

May 29, 2024

't Plat is a remnant of swampy land in the vicinity of the Holvense stream. The higher areas consisted of heathland and drifting dunes. At the beginning of the seventeenth century, the Holven, popularly called “plat” or “klotkoten”, was first mentioned. The Holven was a hollowed out fen that was created in the wet heath by cutting peat and stone. That was the fuel of the locals. Peat is the top layer of humus, mainly heather herbs, while clot is the bottom layer formed by marsh plants. Flat does not mean 'flat' here, but 'swampy' or 'boggy'. 't Plat has different types of biotopes. The dry heath is a last remnant of the large heathland plains of the eighteenth century, and is now European protected. There is also the wet heath with heath, sundew and marsh club moss. Together with the pine forests, the reed vegetation, the alder forest, the gale shrubs, the willow shrubs, the ponds and fens, 't Plat forms the natural connection with the classified landscape of the Hobos and the Pijnven domain forest.

Translated by Google •

Michelle

April 27, 2025

Artwork between the trees.

Translated by Google •

In the know? Log-in to add a tip for other adventurers!

Details

Informations

Elevation 100 m

Weather

Today

Saturday 15 November

14°C

8°C

20 %

If you start your activity now...

Max wind speed: 7.0 km/h

Most visited during

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

See hikes here

Take Me There

Location: Overpelt, Maaseik, South Limburg, Flanders, Belgium

Other Popular Places to Check Out

Leyssensmolen

In den Brand Sand Dunes

Observation Tower De Wulp

View of the Zandput Lommel

Hoksentkapel

Uitkijktoren Lommelse Sahara

Vlonderpad Natuurreservaat Ortolaan

Forest Trails in Bosland National Park

Forest Trails in Nationaal Park Bosland

Lommelse Sahara

View of the Watchtower in Bosland National Park

Forest Trail in Nationaal Park Bosland

't Plat Nature Reserve and Tatau Art Trail

1. Pond by the Holvenloop – Bench With a View of the Field loop from Overpelt

2. Wooden Bridge – Abandoned Forest Cabin loop from Overpelt

3. Pond by the Holvenloop – Hobos Estate Manor House loop from Eksel

Other Popular Places to Check Out

We value your privacy ⛰️

We value your privacy ⛰️