About us
A group for the walking & outdoor enthousiasts in Brussels. Is it necessary to say more? Actually yes.
Activities
The main focus will be mostly given on one-day walks in Belgium. We will mostly follow GR-trails or other walking events that can be reached by public transportation. The trails are selected to show the best of the region they cross (nature, but also national heritage), while avoiding mass tourism areas.
RSVP'ing and no-shows
If you RSVP'd yes for a hike but cannot join please warn at least two day in advance. Persons who don't come or who RSVP'd yes, but change their mind at last minute will be put on the waiting list for the next activities. People who also join several activities and are on the main list of one will also be moved to the end of the waiting list.
Weather
Please note that activities are not automatically cancelled because of the weather, but they may be adapted. Some people do enjoy walking in forests during rain, really. You are asked to change your status if you don't want to join because of the weather. If there are not enough participants, the activity will be then cancelled/postponed.
Disclaimer
The Brussels Hiking Group is not meant to be a hiking club but to allow experienced hikers to announce their willingness to do a given hike, find people to go along with and have a nice day. You are not supposed to be an expert, but to know your limits and choose to participate or not to an activity accordingly. You have also to make sure that you are covered by an insurance policy that covers hiking before taking part to an activity, and you also know the risks inherent to hiking. The Brussels Hiking Group is also a platform to allow interested people to propose their own activities, on their personal initiative. The Brussels Hiking Group acts only in that case as an intermediary and its organisers could not be held responsible in case of accident.
Upcoming events
6
Hike Houthalen – Holsteen (26 km loop) - max 20 pers
Bruxelles-Central, Carr de l'Europe, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium, Bruxelles, BEA wonderfully varied hike through some of the most beautiful natural areas of Limburg. Starting in Houthalen we head into the vast heathlands and forests of Tenhaagdoornheide before continuing through Hengelhoef known for its forests and peaceful fishing ponds. We then cross Molenheide and make our way towards the mysterious prehistoric Holsteen.
https://www.zonhoven.be/producten/detail/875/holsteenAlong the way we experience the typical landscapes of De Wijers and the Lage Kempen with a beautiful mix of heathland, pine forests, sandy trails, stream valleys and ponds. We also pass through De Teut famous for its characteristic views over the Wijers landscape.
After the hike we will continue our good habit of taking a nice beer/ice cream/snack in a local pub in Houthalen before returning to Brussels.
Please don't forget to pay Maikel a drink :-)
We will walk at an average speed of 5km/h. We will walk both on paved and unpaved roads. I’ve never walked this road before so it’s possible there are some mistakes in the planning.
●●Meetingpoint
We meet at 08h20 in front of Starbucks in Brussels Central. Our train (IC1507 Hasselt) leaves from platform 3 at 08h41. We arrive in Hasselt at 09h56 on platform 7 and change to De Lijn Bus (X18- Lommel Vreyshorring) who leaves in the busstation from perron 10 at 10h11. We arrive at our destination Houthalen-Mijn at 10h45 and start our hike.●● Train tickets
- single ticket Brussels to Hasselt (11,40 € weekend/6,80 € with train card+)
- busticket De Lijn from Hasselt to Houthalen-mijn (3 € to pay contactles in the bus)
- busticket De Lijn from Houthalen Centrum to Hasselt (3 € to pay contactles in the bus)
- single ticket Hasselt to Brussels (11,40 € weekend/6,80 € with train card+)●● Train to Brussels
There is a De Lijn bus from Houthalen Centrum to Hasselt every hour at XX:24. We arrive in Hasselt train station at XX:49 where we take train (IC1541 – Blankenerge) that leaves from platform 7 at X1:02. More info on: https://www.belgiantrain.beLAST BUS = 21h24
●● Specifics
distance: ~ 26 km
elevation gain: ~ 124 m
net walking time (breaks are not included here): ~ 6h00
level: easy – open to everyoneIn the unlikely case of too bad weather we may cancel a hike even few hours before the event. If this must happen we will of course update the Meetup website and send out an email to those registered. So it is important to have access to either the Meetup website and/or your emails.
●● What to bring
- comfortable hiking clothes – waterproof hiking shoes
- extra socks to change + compeed for blisters
- water (min 2l) and enough food for the breaks
- sun protection oil, mosquito/tick repellent, a hat and sunglasses OR a raincoat
(please consult the weather forecast on www.meteo.be)
- some cash money to pay Maikel a drink ;-)●● Basic rules
Please RSVP only if you really intend to come. And if your plans change update your RSVP so other people still have the possibility to join. This is basic courtesy towards others. People who cancel at the last day (24h) or don’t show up for the hike will be blacklisted for future hikes. When you are on the waitinglist it means you should not come to the hike. When there is no +1 function it means you can't bring any guests. Everyone should register for him/her self.●● Acknowledgement of member responsibility and release of liability
By signing up for this event you agree to release the organizers from any responsibility and liability in all claims. As the participation is strictly voluntary and you freely choose to join it is the responsibility of individuals participating to ensure that they are fit enough and have adequate coverage to protect themselves. By joining this event you acknowledge and accept that the organisers cannot be held liable for any accident, injury, illness, loss, damage or other claim arising from participation in this activity.24 attendees
Herentals loop (21km)
Brussel-Centraal, Carr de l'Europe, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium, Bruxelles, BEIt's getting colder and darker but that's no excuse to spend Sunday on the couch, so let's do a loop from Herentals in the province of Antwerp (~21km, almost flat). We will hike mostly in forest and marshland, and we should see some great autumn colours. We'll finish with an (optional) drink in Herentals before we catch the train home.
The weather forecast is surprisingly good at the time of writing - mostly sunny and 12C - but check for any changes before Sunday. The path may be muddy and slippery in places so wear good shoes, preferably walking boots.
We will walk at an average speed of 5km/h. This is quite fast. We will walk both on paved and unpaved roads. I’ve never walked this route before, so it’s possible there are some mistakes in the planning.
You can find the GPX track here: https://mapy.com/s/cavujoceho (route may be slightly updated before Sunday)
Meeting point and train
We will meet outside Starbucks in Brussels Central station at 8:45.
The train IC3108 (Antwerpen-Centraal) leaves from platform 5 at 9:04 (you can also join this train at Brussels Zuid at 8:59 or Brussels Noord at 9:10).
We arrive in Antwerpen-Berchem at 9:50 and change on to IC4230 (Turnhout), leaving from platform 5 at 9:59. It arrives in Herentals at 10:23.Train tickets
- Single Brussels to Herentals, €8.50 or €3.40 with Train+
- Single Herentals to Brussels, €8.50 or €3.40 with Train+Train back to Brussels
There are connections at xx:38 and xx:58 each hour from Herentals to Brussels, changing at Antwerpen-Berchem, and also at xx:19 changing at Antwerpen-Berchem and Brussels Airport. The journey takes 1h20-1h30 minutes to Central station.Specifics
Distance: ~21 km
Elevation gain: ~90 m
Net walking time: ~5h
Level: EasyIn the unlikely case of too bad weather, we may cancel a hike, even a few hours before the event. If this happens, we will of course update the Meetup website and send out a message to those registered. So, it is important to have access to either the Meetup.com website and/or your email.
What to bring
- lunch - we will not stop at a cafe/restaurant for lunch
- comfortable hiking clothes – waterproof hiking shoes
- extra socks to change + compeed for blisters
- water (min 2l) and enough food for the breaks
- sun protection oil, a head and sunglasses OR a raincoat
(please consult the weather forecast on www.meteo.be)
- mosquito/tick repellent
- some money for drinks/snacks/etcBasic rules
The number of participants is limited, so make sure that you RSVP only if you really intend to come. If your plans change, update your RSVP asap. This is basic courtesy towards others. Last day cancellations, no-shows and Internet warriors are not appreciated.
Only people whose name appears on the main list may come to the hike.Acknowledgement of member responsibility and release of liability
You are responsible for yourself and should be fit enough if you choose to take part. As participation in this event is strictly voluntary and you freely choose to join, it is the responsibility of individuals participating to ensure that they are fit enough and have adequate coverage to protect themselves. By signing up for this event, you agree to release the organisers from any responsibility and liability.22 attendees
In Flanders Fields - historical hike Ypres (22 km) - max 20 pers
Brussel-Centraal, Carr de l'Europe, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium, Bruxelles, BEOn November 11th in Belgium we remember the end of world war I where around 17 miljon people lost their lives. A few days before Armistice Day, we will explore Ypres and the surrounding Flanders Fields.
We start in the historic centre passing the Market Square, Cloth Hall, Menin Gate and Ypres Ramparts before heading into the countryside of the former Ypres Salient with its war cemeteries, memorials and traces of the Great War.
After the hike we will continue our good habit of taking a nice beer/ice cream/snack in a local pub in Ieper and will try to attend the moving Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate at 20:00 before returning to Brussels.
Please don't forget to pay Maikel a drink :-)
We will walk at an average speed of 5km/h. We will walk both on paved and unpaved roads. I’ve never walked this road before so it’s possible there are some mistakes in the planning.
●●Meeting point
We meet at 08h40 in front of Starbucks in Brussels Central. The train (IC530 - Oostende) leaves from platform 2 at 08h56. We will arrive in Gent at 09h31 on platform 11 where we change train (IC707 – Kortrijk/Poperinge) who leaves at 09h37 from platfom 9. We arrive at our destination Ypres at 10h44 and start our hike.●● Train tickets
- single ticket Brussels to Ieper (14,90 € weekend/9,00 € with train card+)
- single ticket Ieper to Brussels (14,90 € weekend/9,00 € with train card+)●● Train to Brussels
There is a train to Brussels every hours at XX:15 (IC742 Antwerpen) from platform 1. It arrives in Gent-Sint-Pieters at X1:24 on Platform 4 where we change to train (IC2820 – Liège-Guillemins) that leves from platform 10 at X1:41
More info on: https://www.belgiantrain.beLAST TRAIN = 21h15
●● Specifics
distance: ~ 22 km
elevation gain: ~ 92 m
net walking time (breaks are not included here): ~ 5h00
level: easy – open to evryoneIn the unlikely case of too bad weather we may cancel a hike even few hours before the event. If this must happen we will of course update the Meetup website and send out an email to those registered. So it is important to have access to either the Meetup website and/or your emails.
●● What to bring
- comfortable hiking clothes – waterproof hiking shoes
- extra socks to change + compeed for blisters
- water (min 2l) and enough food for the breaks
- sun protection oil, mosquito/tick repellent, a hat and sunglasses OR a raincoat
(please consult the weather forecast on www.meteo.be)
- some cash money to pay Maikel a drink ;-)●● Basic rules
Please RSVP only if you really intend to come. And if your plans change update your RSVP so other people still have the possibility to join. This is basic courtesy towards others. People who cancel at the last day (24h) or don’t show up for the hike will be blacklisted for future hikes. When you are on the waitinglist it means you should not come to the hike. When there is no +1 function it means you can't bring any guests. Everyone should register for him/her self.●● Acknowledgement of member responsibility and release of liability
By signing up for this event you agree to release the organizers from any responsibility and liability in all claims. As the participation is strictly voluntary and you freely choose to join it is the responsibility of individuals participating to ensure that they are fit enough and have adequate coverage to protect themselves. By joining this event you acknowledge and accept that the organisers cannot be held liable for any accident, injury, illness, loss, damage or other claim arising from participation in this activity.1 attendee
Past events
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