ハムのおすすめウォーキング＆ハイキングルート

The need for "fortification" is timeless. The Romans protected their camps with ramparts and moats, as did the Vikings later. "Schans" originally meant "forest of branches or twigs," referring to the woven wooden structures that served as parapets for defense against the enemy. The (farmers') fortifications, such as the Schans van Gerhees, were built immediately following the Eighty Years' War (1568-1648), the Dutch Revolt against the Spanish Empire. During this turbulent time, the entire Kempen region suffered from roving bands and mutinous soldiers who targeted provisions and money.

The Gerhees Fortress is a protected monument dating from the 17th century. This earthen fort is a unique piece of history. The fortress comprises a rectangle of earthen ramparts, built in the middle of an area with fens and surrounded by moats. This made it a refuge difficult to discover and reach, where the local inhabitants could "hide" from marauding armies and bands of robbers. After so many centuries, the fortress now looks like an ordinary inland dune. But if you look closely, you can still see the remains of the earthen ramparts and moats.

A Lourdes grotto or Marian grotto is a replica of the grotto of Massabielle near the French town of Lourdes, where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to Bernadette Soubirous on February 11, 1858. Copies have been built in many countries for the veneration of Our Lady of Lourdes. These are replicas of what is said to have happened at the grotto. An altar may have been placed inside the grotto. Diagonally above the grotto (on the viewer's right) is a niche containing a white statue of the Virgin Mary with a blue sash and a rosary. In front of the grotto stands a statue of Bernadette, looking upward and kneeling in prayer.

A resting place at the chapel...

Where the bobby's can romp...

Father, his little home...

Parking is provided here to start your walk...

Hail Mary...