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Grote Kolonieplas – Colony - Eastern Rampart loop from Kolonie Merksplas

Routes

Hiking trails & Routes

Grote Kolonieplas – Colony - Eastern Rampart loop from Kolonie Merksplas

Moderate

3.5

(2)

hikers

Grote Kolonieplas – Colony - Eastern Rampart loop from Kolonie Merksplas

03:27

13.7km

20m

Hiking

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. 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

308 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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Tip by

516 m

Gentse Wijk, Merksplas

Highlight • Forest

683 m

Walking Trail in the Woods

Highlight • Trail

colony still different

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1.66 km

Fishing ponds – Old clay extraction pits

Highlight • Lake

Old clay pits from 1870 - 1900 provided the necessary clay to bake bricks for constructing the necessary buildings. There was even a temporary brick factory on the site of …

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2.14 km

Grote Kolonieplas

Highlight • Lake

The protected landscape is approximately 600 hectares and is enclosed by a ring moat. The domain consists of a grid-shaped driving pattern interspersed with fields and meadows, with forests, ponds and clay pits.

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3.14 km

Ring Canal Path Merksplas-Kolonie

Highlight • Trail

Road that runs next to the canal. Enjoy the unique ancient landscape. The decor changes color every season.

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Tip by

3.99 km

Bolkse Bossen

Forest

12.1 km

Wooden Bridge Over Canal in Forest Near Turnhout

Highlight • Bridge

lovely place

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Tip by

12.6 km

Colony - Eastern Rampart

Highlight • Historical Site

In order to prevent the increase in escape attempts, a ring moat was dug from 1893, approximately 10 meters wide and almost 7 km long. The marked walk 'The Escape …

Translated by Google •

Tip by

13.7 km

End point

Bus stop

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

5.40 km

4.18 km

2.08 km

1.80 km

< 100 m

Surfaces

5.49 km

3.68 km

2.20 km

2.15 km

< 100 m

Elevation

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

Weather

Friday 29 May

29°C

13°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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Grote Kolonieplas – Colony - Eastern Rampart loop from Kolonie Merksplas

Historic main building - Merksplas Colony

Gentse Wijk, Merksplas

Walking Trail in the Woods

Fishing ponds – Old clay extraction pits

Grote Kolonieplas

Ring Canal Path Merksplas-Kolonie

Wooden Bridge Over Canal in Forest Near Turnhout

Colony - Eastern Rampart

Nearby routes

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