Eksterheide Boardwalk – Forest Pond loop from Sint-Jozef-Rijkevorsel

Hiking trails & Routes

Eksterheide Boardwalk – Forest Pond loop from Sint-Jozef-Rijkevorsel

Moderate

4.5

(68)

369

hikers

Eksterheide Boardwalk – Forest Pond loop from Sint-Jozef-Rijkevorsel

02:34

10.2km

10m

Hiking

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily walkable paths. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: November 5, 2026

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

Get Directions

24 m

Picnic spot by De Vaart.

Highlight • Rest Area

An ideal location with a beautiful view of 'De Vaart' to press your pause button. Go back in time and muse about the origins of the Kempisch Canal and the …

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218 m

Pedestrian and cyclist bridge with a view of the Schoten-Dessel Canal

Highlight • Bridge

Easy to cycle on and off, nice view.

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746 m

Turning basin, Zuiderdijk, Rijkevorsel

Highlight • River

Here, too, a turning basin is a local widening of the canal. Ships longer than the width of the waterway can turn here. The name is derived from the movement that a boat makes with this movement.

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2.43 km

Eksterheide Boardwalk

Highlight • Trail

Beautiful deck path. Recently renovated it seems to me. Nice photoshoot spot.

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3.97 km

Information Board: De Eksterheide

Highlight • Rest Area

Welcome to the Eksterheide 🌿

Here begins your exploration of a versatile nature reserve where heathland, forest, and open landscapes alternate. The Eksterheide is a place where you get to know new faces of nature while walking.

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4.00 km

Forest Pond

Highlight • Lake

A location to look forward to. Once you are here you can relax.

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4.82 km

New Forest in Eksterheide

Highlight • Forest

Here grows the future of Eksterheide. In this place, nature is given every opportunity to redevelop itself, with young trees and shrubs gradually growing into a fully-fledged forest.

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5.10 km

Old Airfield becomes heathland

Highlight • Natural

The old airfield was built in 1960. The strip was 800 meters long and 25 meters wide. In 2009 the old airport was demolished again. After demolition, the original landscape …

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10.2 km

End point

Bus stop

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

7.27 km

2.60 km

262 m

< 100 m

Surfaces

7.18 km

1.10 km

809 m

654 m

359 m

< 100 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Weather

Tuesday 10 November

7°C

4°C

76 %

Additional weather tips

There’s a fairly high chance of rain. Consider packing a waterproof jacket.

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

May 29, 2023,Vlonderpad Eksterheide – Oude kleiput Rondje vanuit Sint Jozef Rijkevorsel

Read the blog post about this route at: thilo.be/wandelblog/wandelparadijs-in-de-kempen-ontdek-het-vlonderpad-heide-en-kanaalpracht-bij-rijkevorsel

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March 7, 2024,Sint-Jozef, Rijkevorsel - Eksterheide Hoge Bergenpad

The wet ground and high water level played tricks on us, but with some ingenuity we were able to complete the walk without wet feet.

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December 3, 2023,Eksterheide St. Jozef Rijkevorsel

Beautiful forest walk along fens and heathland. Largely unpaved.
Eksterheide is a vast nature reserve between Beerse and Rijkevorsel. There used to be a private airport here. The area is in full development.
Departure is currently at the bicycle and pedestrian bridge over the Dessel - Schoten canal on the side of the center of St. Jozef.

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