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Dijleland

— The Dijle twists and turns through Flemish Brabant, fed by many other streams and rivers.”

The route for this walk runs through an area close to another walk in the area of Oud-Heverlee.

The Dijle twists and turns through Flemish Brabant, fed by many other streams and rivers until it too flows into the Rupel at Rumst.

On this route, the walker encounters two of the Dijle’s tributaries – the Voer and the Ijse – more than once. Notable also are Neerijse’s beautiful cherry blossoms on the Prins de Bethunelaan and Lindenhoflaan.

• Walking route: Leefdaal – Loonbeek – Neerijse – Korbeek-Dijle – Leefdaal (loop) detailed commentary
• Distance: 22km

Leefdaal is the start and finish of the walk. Its 17th century kasteel was the principal residence of a vassal of the Duke of Brabant, the Graaf de Liedekerke. The de Liederkerke family still owns the property today.

Source: Leefdaal van/voor Leefdaalenaars

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Dijleland

In the green plains of the Flemish Brabant, many rivers and streams flow into the Dijle, itself a feeder of the Rupel, one of the Schelde's main tributaries.

Detailed commentary

Larger map of this route

Turn left onto Dorpstraat and continue until a narrow path can be seen on the left, running between a clearing between two properties. Turn left onto this and follow it as it bends to the right and arrives at a junction with a road. Go straight on the path opposite and on reaching another road junction, go straight again (Nollekenstraat) and gently uphill.

Continue downhill next then, when the road starts to flatten out, at the crossroads of paths go left on a long, straight track uphill. Follow this straight and at the top of the hill, it bends to the right. On reaching a junction at a copse, turn left through the trees then out the other side and gently downhill. At the next junction, turn right and go downhill along the edge of woodlands. At the bottom of the hill, at a junction with a large farm, turn left onto the cobbled Ganzemanstraat. At the first junction with a track to the right, take this track that runs between fields and stay on the left of the fork that follows later, heading uphill.

Walking alongside a woodland, cross over the road junction and continue as far as the next road junction, turning left here (Hollestraat) going downhill under tree cover. Carefully cross the main road and continue downhill as far as the river. Turn right onto a path that runs alongside the river and follow it as far as a bridge that must be crossed to continue. Straight ahead is the main road. On reaching it, take the path left that runs between the river and the road and at the next junction of paths go left uphill and into the woods on a rough road.

When the road emerges from the woodland at a junction, turn left onto an asphalt road (Nijvelsebaan) and follow it straight as it continues flat then eventually downhill. When the road starts to bend away to the left, take the track rising gently away to the right and follow it until the first junction with a path to the left just before the trees start again. Follow this path as it descends into the village of Neerijse. At the crossroads, turn left onto Kamstraat.

On crossing a bridge over the river, turn right immediately after onto a path that runs along its banks, passing a pond to the left. On reaching the road, turn left and then take the first right shortly after onto the long, straight cobbled road of Prins de Bethunelaan. In spring, the trees that line it are in blossom. At the end of the cobbled road, turn right and continue straight when the road runs out, into the nature reserve of De Donde Bemde. Follow the path that runs around the perimeter, initially on grass, then on a walkway. At the end of the walkway, the path continues to the bank of the river Dijle.

Rather than crossing, turn left and follow the path alongside the Dijle, still inside the perimeter of the nature reserve. Continue for some time as far as a small, quite new bridge on the right that crosses a tributary of the Dijle. Cross this bridge and follow the narrow path that passes a lake on the left as far as a junction with a track. Instead of taking the track left, go straight through the field, linking up again with the bank of the Dijle for a time until the village of Korbeek. On approaching a bridge and instead of heading to the main road, follow the track left around the side of a building and through meadows. Take the second path to the right with a green-painted metal fence. This bends to the right and eventually reaches a residential street (Beekstraat).

Follow the street as far as the first junction and turn left there. Soon after, carefully cross over the main road and go straight uphill on a rough road. When the road splits on the uphill stretch, keep to the left fork and follow this track between fields and then under tree cover. Go straight at the first junction, then turn right at the second one, around the edge of a small wood.

This concrete road runs across the high ground. Continue almost as far as a small cabin ensconced in its own copse and turn left onto a track that runs downhill back in the direction of Leefdaal. Cross over the road junction and continue downhill under tree cover on an increasingly rough track as far as a road junction. Turn left onto the road (Kerstraat) and head gently uphill. When the road bends to the right, continue straight on a track. This itself eventually bends to the right as it goes downhill, joining a road (Dorpstraat). Cross over this road and head straight along the pavement.

As the road bends to the right, turn left onto a driveway then immediately left again onto a narrow path that runs beside the stream. Cross over the next road junction and continue on the path by the stream. On arriving at another road, find the stream and its path again on the other side of the road and continue into the trees. On reaching a junction with a cobbled road, turn left onto it (Slagberg) and pass the Kasteel van Leefdaal on the right. At the next junction, go straight over onto a path lined with incredibly tall trees. At the church, take the road to the right which passes around the churchyard and arrives at the main road (Dorpstraat) with the parking area opposite.