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Colony 7 Visitor Center – Grote Hoeve loop from Kolonie Merksplas

Routes

Hiking trails & Routes

Colony 7 Visitor Center – Grote Hoeve loop from Kolonie Merksplas

Easy

hikers

Colony 7 Visitor Center – Grote Hoeve loop from Kolonie Merksplas

01:35

6.29km

10m

Hiking

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: May 13, 2026

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

Get Directions

639 m

Historic main building - Merksplas Colony

Highlight • Historical Site

The Merksplas penitentiary was built in 1825 as a colony to accommodate beggars and vagrants. After WWII it evolved into a semi-open prison with a community regime. Today it is a closed institution for convicts.

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1.21 km

Walking Trail in the Woods

Highlight • Trail

colony still different

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Tip by

1.53 km

Bench With a View of Bootsven

Highlight • Viewpoint

Here you can enjoy the peace and quiet on the couch with a great view of the water

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1.55 km

Het Biesven

Highlight • Lake

The Biesven was dug for the drainage of this low-lying area. It is ecologically important for several target species, especially waterfowl.

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1.66 km

Bootsven

Highlight • Lake

Biesven was dug for the drainage of this low-lying area. It is ecologically important for several target species, especially waterfowl.

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Tip by

2.16 km

Water and Fields

Highlight • Trail

On Saturdays it is very quiet to walk here

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5.79 km

Colony 7 Visitor Center

Highlight • Historical Site

Get to know Colony 5-7 here!
The visitor center tells the story of Wortel and Merksplas Colony. Walk at your own pace through this former pigsty of the Grote Hoeve …

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Tip by

5.90 km

Grote Hoeve

Highlight • Historical Site

The Grote Hoeve ("Big Court") was built in 1880 according to a design by Victor Besme in monastic architecture. The buildings are arranged along a large rectangular courtyard.
You can …

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6.29 km

End point

Bus stop

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

2.64 km

2.07 km

896 m

622 m

Surfaces

3.42 km

1.42 km

1.39 km

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Weather

Friday 29 May

28°C

14°C

49 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 10.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Our route recommendations are based on thousands of hikes, rides, and runs completed by other people on komoot.

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Colony 7 Visitor Center – Grote Hoeve loop from Kolonie Merksplas

Historic main building - Merksplas Colony

Walking Trail in the Woods

Bench With a View of Bootsven

Het Biesven

Bootsven

Water and Fields

Colony 7 Visitor Center

Grote Hoeve

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