Watering meadows walk

Walk through this unique piece of nature and discover all about the 'Witteren', declared UNESCO cultural heritage in December 2023. This 6 km long walk will show you how, starting in the 19th century, wild heathlands gave way to fertile hay meadows without the use of fertilizers. Using QR codes, the walk guides you through the whole process of cultivating the heathlands into fertile liquid meadows.

Product in the webshop

Hiking

Free

Culture

Walk Along the Flood Meadows of the Grote Watering

Discover the beautiful nature of the Grote Watering on this 6.2 km walk. The walk starts at the small parking area where the Grote Fossé branches off from the Kempisch Canal. Here you will find an information board from Natuurpunt about the walk. From the parking area, follow the blue arrows.

From the canal, follow the path of the water through Heuvelse Heide, pine forest, and Lommel Kolonie to the restored flood meadows. It is here that volunteers have been maintaining the traditional agricultural technique of "witteren" for nearly half a century. You’ll notice that this has not only created a unique landscape but also a particularly valuable natural area. The rich water not only ensures waving grass but also creates a home for many rare plant and animal species. After exploring the flood meadows and the surrounding landscape, you will return to the starting point via the Grote Fossé.