Postcards
from the
Kempen Within 30 km of Maison Colette  ·  De Trannoyplein 17, 2260 Westerlo

Everything in a 15-min walking loop. UNESCO begijnhof, the Zimmertoren clock, a spiced Liers Vlaaike on the way out.

1st pick · Culture Zimmertoren + Begijnhof (1258, UNESCO 1998) + Liers Vlaaike ^{[40] [41] [42]}
ClosedStedelijk Museum Wuyts-Van Campen — shut since Feb 2018 ^[43]

593 ha of heath, dunes and Nardus grassland — restoration brought the nightjar back. Red loop 11.2 km / 170 min.

1st pick · Outdoor Averbode Bos en Heide · Trailhead Abdijstraat 1, Averbode ^{[23] [24] [25]}

The only place to taste the abbey's own draught — micro-brewed inside the café. Bottles are contract-brewed elsewhere.

Het Moment at Abdij Averbode (Norbertine, 1134, 55 canons) ^{[72] [71] [26]}

Fury — 43 m tall, 106.6 km/h, triple-launch, riders vote forwards or backwards. Typhoon's 97° drop.

1st pick · Family Bobbejaanland · €28.90 with code OPEN26 (reg. €49.90) ^{[58] [59] [60]}

Abbey gate stays shut except one open day a year — but the café opposite pours Extra, Dubbel, Tripel + abbey cheese until midnight.

1st pick · Beer Café Trappisten · daily 10:00–24:00 · seats 1,200, big terrace ^{[75] [74]}

Groot Begijnhof founded 1253 — among the largest in the world. The 1845 citadel is one of few in Europe still intact.

Begijnhof Diest (UNESCO) + Sint-Sulpitiuskerk (Orange-Nassau tomb) ^{[45] [44] [46]}

Sand dunes inside Bosland. The red loop (11.7 km) is the one voted Belgium's most beautiful hike.

Lommel Sahara · Blue 3.8 km · Orange 5.7 · Red 11.7 ^[62]
NoteSwimming forbidden in the lakes

Moated, still lived in by Prince Simon. Most days you walk the perimeter; book July's Kasteelfeesten to actually go inside.

Kasteel Prins de Merode · 12 ha English park + 60 ha French park across the Nete ^{[10] [11]}
Open Kasteelfeesten 1st w/e July; Kerstmagie December ^{[13] [14]}

Westerlo's backyard — 127 ha of star-shaped 18th-c. avenues. Asberg dune (24 m) is the highest point in town.

De Beeltjens · Gravinnekespad sensory trail for ages 3–10 ^[29]

Sint-Dimpna church and the medieval-rooted family-foster-care tradition. ~500 psychiatric residents still placed with townspeople today.

Gasthuismuseum + Sint-Dimpnakerk ^{[54] [53]}

300-year-old spiced pastry — candy syrup + four spices. EU-recognised regional product since 2013.

Liers Vlaaike — buy on the way back from the Zimmertoren ^[42]

Multispectral analysis pins the sfumato and St. John's face on Leonardo himself; Giampietrino, Solario and d'Oggiono identified as workshop collaborators.

Tongerlo canvas, 8 × 4 m, painted 1507–08 in Milan; bought 1545 by Abbot Streyters for 450 Rhenish florins ^[3]

Louis Zimmer's astronomical Centenary Clock. Part of the Lier walking loop.

Zimmertoren · Lier ^[40]

Once one of the world's largest card producers — 1.3 million packs a day. Museum has the antique steam-powered printing wheels.

Nationaal Museum van de Speelkaart ^[48]