ディルセン＝ストッケムのおすすめツーリングルート

Thor Centralは、鉱山閉鎖後に遺産として保護された、力強く印象的な産業建築物です。Waterschei鉱山跡地の意味のある機能の模索と、跡地をテクノロジーパークとして開発する選択肢には、この美しい建物を新たな未来へと導くという使命も含まれていました。Thor Centralは、Thor Parkサイトの中心的な役割を担うまでに進化しました。レストランPartaaschとブラッスリーLampadaを備えたフードプラザの外には、会議室、講堂、中央受付、さらには託児所など、主にビジネス用途で利用されています。定期的にイベントや展示会が開催されています。

国境を越えるマース川渓谷リバーパークの自然保護区は、オランダ側ではNatuurmonumentenとStaatsbosbeheerが、フランドル側ではLimburgs LandschapとNatuurpuntが管理しています。荒々しい川の自然を抑制し、同時に景観に変化とダイナミズムをもたらすために、彼らは大型草食動物を利用しています。管理がなければ、これらの地域はすぐに荒れ果て、森で覆われてしまうでしょう。 マース川沿いでは、ほとんどギャロウェイ牛とコニク馬しか見かけません。常駐のメンテナンス担当者として、彼らは自然保護区を歩き回ります。彼らは草を食べ、枝を刈り、肥料を与え、蹄で地面を掘り起こし、毛皮や糞を通して種子をまき散らします。これにより、開けた場所が維持され、生命に満ちた変化に富んだ豊かな景観が発展するのです。 ギャロウェイもコニクも、年間を通じてこの地域を歩き回っています。彼らは、一年中助けなしで外で生活できるように作られた、強く頑丈な品種です。彼らは耐寒性があり、自立心が強く、柔軟です。季節の状況に応じて、毛皮、行動、消化を適応させます。彼らは自分で餌を探し、風、雨、雪、太陽の光に立ち向かいます。

テリル（鉱滓）の間をサイクリングすることは、水上サイクリングとしても知られており、2024年9月に一般公開されたサイクリングプロジェクトです。これは、リゾートTerhillsの近くのテリル間のGroße Plas（大池）にかかるポンツーン自転車道/歩道です。これは、以前リンブルフのサイクリングパラダイスで実現された特別なサイクリングプロジェクトのシリーズへの新しい追加です（例：Bokrijkドメインの水の中をサイクリング、Zutendaalの北のヘドランドをサイクリング、Bosland国立公園の森の中をサイクリング）。

ハイデをサイクリングすると、ホーヘ・ケンペン国立公園を横断します。この公園では、広大な松林と果てしないハイデが交互に現れます。サイクリングノード550と551の間の新しい接続のおかげで、自然がそのまま目の前に現れます。あなたはメヘルス・ハイデをサイクリングします。これは700ヘクタールで、フランダースで最大のハイデ地域の一つです。このルートのハイライトは、間違いなく約300メートルの長さの木製の橋で、景観の中で認識できる要素です。橋からは、自然環境の広大な景色を眺めることができます。

アス駅は、路線21A（ハッセルト-アス）と21B（アス-アイスデン）にあったかつての鉄道駅です。駅舎には現在レストランが入居しており、Kolenspoorverenigingはウォータースハイ-アス-アイスデン間の観光鉄道の運営にそれを使用しています。 アス駅は、ホーヘ・ケンペン国立公園への入り口の一つでもあり、展望台を備えています。

マースメヘレンにあるテルヒルズホテルは、4つ星と59室の豪華な客室を備え、クラスと快適さの総和です。

Near Dilsen-Stokkem (Belgium), in the cross-border nature reserve along the Meuse Valley around the De Wissen Visitor Center and the Negenoord-Kerkeweerd nature reserve, you'll regularly encounter Konik horses in the open floodplains and grasslands, along with other large grazers such as Galloway cattle. These horses are not domesticated pets, but are part of a consciously implemented nature management program aimed at keeping the river landscape as naturally dynamic and biodiverse as possible. The Konik horses here live freely in the floodplains and river landscapes year-round. Their presence is functional: grazing, they cut down the grass and maintain open grasslands. In places where cattle primarily keep shrubs and young trees short, the horses also ensure that herbs, flowers, and short grass are preserved. This combination allows these large grazers to create a diverse patchwork of open areas, coarse grasses, herb-rich thickets, and vegetated edges—exactly what many plant and animal species need to thrive. In the area around Stokkem, you often hear from local guides like the MaasVerkenner that you'll almost always see these horses during a walk, especially on the paths around the old Meuse branches and small lakes of Negenoord. These grazers are an important part of the river landscape experience, and they naturally regulate grazing management, allowing the landscape to develop into a rich ecosystem with countless bird species, insects, and plants that are rare elsewhere in Limburg. Hikers and nature lovers can often observe the Konik horses from the trails around De Wissen and the breeding banks of the Meuse. Because they are wild animals, it is advised to always keep a distance, not feed them, and not disturb their natural behavior. If you're lucky, you might see them grazing peacefully in the morning light or among colorful, herbaceous meadows—an impressive example of how nature management and ecology go hand in hand in this part of the Meuse Valley.

The Kikbeek Source Valley is a unique nature reserve of approximately 120 hectares in the municipality of Maasmechelen. It is part of the Hoge Kempen National Park and situated in and around the former sand and gravel quarry from which the meandering Kikbeek stream originates. This landscape is characterized by alternating open heathlands, forests and marshlands, small ponds, and the source itself, which together form a rich ecological fabric where walking routes lead visitors past water, heathland, reed beds, and forests in an atmosphere of tranquility and natural diversity. The valley is situated on both sides of paths normally included in the network of walks, such as the green and blue loops of the Mechelse Heide, which start from the parking lot at Camping Kikmolen, for example, and loop through the area with views of ponds, heathland, and woodlands. This valley is ecologically valuable, and the combination of a former quarry, seepage zones, and wetlands creates habitats for numerous insects, birds, and plants typical of wet and semi-open nature. The area provides a window into the ancient geology and landscape history of this region, where nature has gradually recovered since the time of human use. However, the situation around the valley and its hiking trails has been in flux for years and is not always accessible as it once was. Due to a landslide in the Kikbeekbron valley, the area is officially closed to recreation, and the blue and green hiking trails that run through it have remained inaccessible to visitors for some time. Research by the Agency for Nature and Forests, in collaboration with geotechnical experts, has revealed that there are risks of further landslides and slope instability, making the valley unsafe to access for the time being, and recreational use has been temporarily suspended. Clear signs on site inform visitors that access is prohibited and that alternative routes outside the valley must be followed. This situation serves as a precautionary measure as long as the stability of the former quarry and surrounding areas is maintained. At the same time, larger nature restoration and water management projects are planned or underway in this area. The Agency for Nature and Forests is carrying out the Blue Deal project at the Kikbeek spring, one of the largest of its kind in Flanders. The goal is to restore the ecosystem of the original valley, strengthen wetlands, and retain more water in the area. This extensive intervention is linked to sustainable water management, biodiversity, and the long-term health of the area. Parts of the valley are temporarily closed to enable methodical implementation. Due to these circumstances, the hiking trails through the former quarry and along the Kikbeek spring are currently not open as you know them from previous hiking maps, and the green and blue loops, which were equally enjoyable for a walk around the pond and through the heathland, are not accessible to recreational users. Yet, for many nature lovers, including myself, the allure of this area is hard to resist. Despite the official closures and clearly indicated restrictions, I have walked past the signs and barriers precisely because the paths are still partially visible and because the sensory experience of the landscape remains very inviting. The story of my walk through the valley, even though it was technically prohibited by the managers, reveals the appeal of this landscape. The tranquil water features, the transition from open heathland to woodland, and the atmosphere of a hidden stream valley invite exploration even when restricted zones indicate it's not officially permitted. This personal touch contrasts the formal, protective management of vulnerable natural areas with the human tendency to seek out the peace and beauty of such places, even if that means straying slightly off the beaten track.