The best running trails around As

Station As is a former railway station on lines 21A (Hasselt-As) and 21B (As-Eisden). The station building now houses a restaurant and the Kolenspoorvereniging (Coal Railway Association) uses it for the operation of the tourist railway line Waterschei-As-Eisden. Station As is also one of the gateways to Hoge Kempen National Park and has an observation tower.

The former watchtower for fire prevention

Nice place for walking and cycling.

In As (Limburg, Belgium), there's a unique observation tower that directly harks back to the region's rich mining history. It's a 31-meter-high replica of the drilling tower with which Belgian geologist André Dumont first discovered coal in the Limburg subsurface in 1901—a discovery that laid the foundation for the region's subsequent mining and industrial history. The tower was built as a tribute to Dumont's original drilling tower, which discovered coal in As in 1901. The structure itself is 31 meters high, and visitors can climb approximately 130 steps to a height of about 25 meters, enjoying a 360° panoramic view of the surrounding landscape. From the viewing platform, you can see the green landscape of the Hoge Kempen National Park and, in the distance, the slag heaps of Eisden Winterslag and Waterschei, striking remnants of the mining industry. The tower is located near the As train station, which itself played a historical role in the mining era. After all, thousands of miners and coal trains departed from here to the larger mining sites in the region.

The view of the lakes and slag heaps in the Klaverberg nature reserve is one of the most impressive panoramas in the Genk region and the Hoge Kempen National Park. Here, a landscape unfolds where rugged industrial history and young, resilient nature seamlessly blend. From elevated points, you can look out over glistening waterways, undulating heathland, and the striking silhouettes of the slag heaps, silent witnesses to the mining past. The slag heaps, formed from the waste from the coal mining of the former Waterschei mine, today form green hills reclaimed by nature. What was once a symbol of heavy industry is now a haven for hikers, cyclists, and nature lovers. The slopes bear a mosaic of grasses, lichens, pines, and birches, while in some places, rare plants have managed to survive thanks to the specific soil structure. At the foot of these slag heaps lie lakes and ponds created by subsidence and water extraction after the mine closures. These pools reflect the sky, the ridges, and the surrounding vegetation, creating an almost picturesque backdrop. In clear weather, you can see the water glistening serenely among the greenery, dragonflies skimming the surface, and waterfowl finding their way along the banks. The view changes with the seasons. In spring and summer, the heathland turns a fresh green, interspersed with purple accents from flowering heather. In autumn, warm shades of rust brown and golden yellow take over the landscape, while in winter, the bare slag heaps create an austere, almost mysterious atmosphere. Each season tells its own story here.

The yellow route through the Klaverberg Nature Reserve offers one of the area's most impressive panoramas: a panoramic view of the slag heap and the surrounding ponds, where nature and its industrial past seamlessly blend. From this point, you look out over the green flank of the slag heap, a former spoil heap that was slowly reclaimed by nature after the mine closed. Pines, birches, and hardy heathers have established themselves here in the barren soil and today form a unique landscape that symbolizes the resilience of the Hoge Kempen region. The slag heap rises quietly and massively, a testament to Genk's mining past and the Waterschei coal site. At its foot, the ponds lie like reflective havens in the landscape. The water catches the light and reflects the sky, the trees, and sometimes even the silhouettes of birds flying overhead. Here you'll regularly see ducks, dragonflies, and, with a bit of luck, deer cautiously emerging from the forest edge to drink. The combination of height, openness, and silence makes this view a place where you naturally slow down. It's one of those moments where you not only see but also feel: the space, the history, the transformation from industry to pure nature. Whether you pass by here during a leisurely morning walk or in the warm light of the setting sun, this point on the yellow route is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful stops in Klaverberg. 🌿🌊⛰️

In the Heiderbos, part of the Hoge Kempen National Park, lies one of the area's most unique natural treasures: the juniper heath. This landscape is rare in Belgium and recalls centuries-old semi-open heathlands once grazed by sheep and maintained by the local population. The jagged juniper berries, sometimes several meters high, give the area an almost mystical aura.

This bench overlooking the heathland is one of those wonderful resting spots that make Hoge Kempen National Park so special. Situated on a slight elevation, the bench overlooks an undulating carpet of heather, purple moor grass, and young pines – a typical heathland landscape that is the result of both centuries-old human influence and recent nature restoration projects.