SURROUNDING AREA.
Cycling and walking.

Cycling and walking routes where the three provinces of Antwerp, Flemish Brabant and Limburg meet.

Close on one thousand kilometres of cycling routes and a few hundred kilometres of walking paths crisscross and skirt the thousands of hectares of nature reserve of Averbode and its surrounding areas and extend as far as Messelbroek, Testelt, Kaggevinne, Langdorp, Okselaar, Molenstede, Laakdal, Veerle, Veerle Heide, Blauberg and Bergom.
For more information, check out: www.argusmilieu.be

Various cycling and walking guides available. Heyde dijck Castle is located alongside the Hageland interconnecting cycle network.





           

PLACES OF INTEREST
Discover Averbode and surrounding area.

• Abbey at 1 km from Heyde dijck Castle: Norbertine abbey, open to the public...
• The not-to-be-missed ‘ijsjes-dreef‘ (ice-cream lane) or ‘lik-dreef (licking-lane).

• Museum – Heritage centre in the birthplace of Flemish writer Ernest Claes at 200 m from Heyde dijck Castle and point of departure for stunning walks in the Demerbroeken. Ernest Claes, renowned for his novel ‘De witte’ (translated as ‘Whitey’) and the television series of ‘Wij, Heren van Zichem’, (We, the Lords of Zichem) has given this town a never-to-be forgotten reputation. Indeed, part of the series was shot at Heyde dijck Castle. It was his lordship Parmentier who inhabited the Castle.
• Maagdentoren (The Tower of the Virgins): 14th century keep.
• The Marktplein (Market Square) with its kiosk, ‘Witte’ monument and some excellent taverns and eateries.
• The Eustachiuskerk (Eustachius Church), constructed in ferrous sandstone, with an original stained-glass window dating back to 1387, reputed to be the oldest preserved stained-glass window in Belgium.
• Water mill.
• Tollhouse on the river Demer where barges used to have to pay a toll before they could navigate the river.

• This 1627 Basilica is today still one of the most popular pilgrimage places in Belgium.

• Sint Pieterskerk (St. Peter’s Church)
• Water mill
• The presbytery

• Sint Michielskerk (St. Michael's Church)
• The presbytery

The towns of Aarschot, Diest and Westerlo, all within a radius of some 10 km, are also well worth a visit.