Kalmthoutse Heide (Heide to Essen, 26km)

On this hike from station Heide to station Essen we will visit the "Kalmthoutse Heide". It is one of the oldest and largest nature reserves in Flanders. It is a rare relic of the once vast European heathland landscape. The “backyard of the people of Antwerp” has developed into a real crowd favorite in recent years. During your walk, you can discover numerous rare animal and plant species in the Kalmthoutse Heide. Put on your walking shoes and let yourself be surprised by this gem of the Kempen region. And climb the Brandtoren and enjoy the expansive landscape. August and September are the blooming months in this nature reserve. Expect to see a lot of pink-colored plants!

●●You can find the gpx track here:
https://loc.wiki/t/283443511?wa=sc

●●Meeting point:
We meet at 10h13 at station Heide (on the platform). If you start from Brussels-Central, you should take train EC 9223 direction Rotterdam Centraal (NL) at 8h49. In Antwerp Central you have 8 minutes to change to train S32 2559 direction Roosendaal at 9h50. I am coming from Ghent, so I will see you on the second train. Let's meet in the first car of the train.

●● Back to Brussels:
From Essen you have one train per hour back to Brussels, with a change in Antwerp. The journey takes a bit more than one hour and a half.

●● Specifics:
Distance: ca 26km
Elevation gain: nada
Net walking time: ca 7h
Weather forecast: Not too hot and small chance of rain.
In 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 website and/or your emails.

●● What to bring:

• Comfortable hiking clothes &shoes
• rain gear (just in case)
• water + food for the breaks
• sun cream
• Compeed for blisters
• some small money for drinks

●● Basic rules:
Please RSVP only if you really intend to come. And if your plans change, update your RSVP asap, even hours before the walk. This is basic courtesy towards others. Late cancellations are not well considered (at all). No-shows are even worse. Do not show up for a hike unless you are on the “going” list. People with the "go-with-the-flow" label are only moved from the waitlist 24 hours before the hike. I give you the label "go-with-the-flow" if you did not show up in one of my hikes before, or if you canceled for one of these hikes less than 24 hours in advance without a good reason.
●● Acknowledgement of member responsibility and release of liability:
You are responsible for yourself and should be fit enough if you want to take part. As the participation in the events 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. Moreover, the organisers aren't tour operators, so they don't feel obliged to answer to every text message or email!