For a while now I wanted to go to the 'faraway' Limburg to do the Connecterra walk. As a Belgian, Limburg is of course not far, but for Belgian standards it is still a long drive. I already saw many pictures of this place on Instagram and I was a bit jealous.
So I decided to plan a weekend away to Limburg after my exams (and actually already during them). My boyfriend didn't have much of a choice and had to come along, of course not against his will.
Of course I knew I wanted to see Connecterra, but I also had some other places on my list. And being the good girlfriend that I am, I also asked my boyfriend if he knew anything he wanted to see. Before long, our weekend was fully booked.
We left early that morning to still have something to do with our day. It is currently January 23, so the days are still fairly short. The plan for that Saturday: hike for 4 hours in Connecterra, visit Maasmechelen Village and return to our b&b to eat our take-out dinner.
Connecting with nature
Fast forward: the 13 km hike, became a 19 km one. We didn't visit Maasmechelen Village, and judging by the queue that was forming, it was for the best.
Back to the hike: it was longer than expected, but in itself very quiet and beautiful. Still, I would like to return in slightly warmer times. Winter is clearly not the nicest season and you should be especially careful not to slip in all that mud. I think spring and fall would be much better timing for this location.
Vilain XIIII
We stopped at Castle Vilain XIIII, but the castle itself was under lock and key. We could walk through the domain, but after 19 km we really didn't feel like it.
Bed & Beyond
We stayed in a cozy b&b where we had a beautiful bathtub and walk-in shower... We made sure to first rinse off the long walk and then relax in the bathtub. Aaah blissful.
The next morning we were met with a beautiful and extensive breakfast in our room. Because of corona we could not go to the general area and we could not use the sauna. But we saw no issue as we could look out from our room with our breakfast at the first snow of this winter.
The famous mines
After our breakfast, of which we took some for our lunch, we left for the C-mine in Genk. My boyfriend is a huge fan of anything history related and I have to say that I am also a fan of how they bring history to life there. The special effects and the sound system are perfectly in order down to the last detail and they also keep everything nice and hygienic in times of corona. So ideal for a family trip or an outing with your bubble/friends.
Even more nature
After our lunch (sushi because it's the best) we continued to Kiewit, a nature reserve around Hasselt. The plan was to also do 'cycling through water' close by, but we didn't have a bike and we ended up having too little time (and too much muscle pain from the previous day).
So, Kiewit. What a beautiful domain to hike in here. With the help of some signs along the path, you can follow different routes. Here we chose the shorter route, because yes, the muscle pain decided everything. In the end, I think we walked around here for two hours and woow. We recommend! Granted, the snow probably made it just a little more beautiful than it normally would be during the winter.
Around 4 pm we were back at the car. Since January is a pretty dark month, we decided at that point, due to the aforementioned muscle soreness and lack of cycling, not to start 'cycling through water'. That's for next time!
In fact, what a coincidence that for my internship I went biking through, you never guessed it: 'cycling through water'. That completes this circle.
Comments