Boom: Nature Experiences and Brickmaking History

Boom combines green recreation, playful discovery and the history of brickmaking. Anyone looking for an apartment or holiday home in Boom can tailor their stay to their own interests: De Schorre offers nature experiences and unusual forest figures, while several sites recall the industrial past of the Rupel region. There are also hiking, cycling and active leisure options, allowing for a range of different day plans.

De Schorre: Clay pit, recreational area and troll forest

De Schorre was once a clay pit and is now a green recreational area in the heart of the Rupel region. For families, the Trollenbos is a particularly memorable destination: seven enormous wooden trolls are hidden in the forest. There is no signposted route; the trolls are discovered during your own search. This turns the visit into an exploration tour in which you look around together and choose your own route.

The Barrevoetspad, a barefoot trail hidden in nature, also focuses on direct experience. Another special feature lies on the island in the middle of De Schorre’s pond: the Minigolf doolhof offers 18 completely new holes in a natural wood style. This allows you to include peaceful moments in nature, a playful search and a shared activity in your travel plans, without every outing having to be the same.

Discover Boom’s brickmaking history

’t Geleeg is the brick museum of the Rupel region and is located in the former buildings of Steenbakkerij Frateur. This brickworks dates back to 1346 and is the only site that is still completely preserved. Brik Boom also includes a protected ring kiln from the 1920s. Both destinations give the trip a historical focus and showcase the region’s brickmaking tradition through specific buildings and facilities.

Another green aspect of Boom is the Gemeentelijk park. It was protected as a landscape as early as 1940 for aesthetic reasons.

Hiking, cycling and active outings

The Infokantoor van Toerisme Rupelstreek is located at Hoogstraat 27 in Boom, a five-minute walk from the Rupeldijk. There you can get information about sights as well as hiking and cycling options in the Rupel region, on the Hombeek Plateau and in the Scheldeland. Hiking and cycling maps are also sold there. This is a practical starting point if you do not want to plan all your outings exclusively in advance.

For mountain bike enthusiasts, the De Schorre mountain bike trail starts at the main entrance on the Schommelei, at the end of the car park at the top of the stairs. A longer outing is the 52-kilometre Happen-en-Trappen route “langs Rupeloevers en baksteenverleden”. It is located in Niel, Willebroek, Rumst, Boom and Schelle and costs €47.95 per person. Take the route length into account when planning your day.

At Intense’s Avonturentoren, Intense Activities offers a wide range of activities and leisure options. These include indoor and outdoor via ferratas, zip lines, high ropes courses, rafting, slacklining, frisbee and mountain boarding. This allows you to alternate between observing nature, culture and more physically active outings when planning your trip.

Finding the right accommodation for your trip

When searching for holiday accommodation in Boom, it is worth first deciding what you would like to focus on. De Schorre and the Trollenbos are ideal for days centred on nature, searching and play; ’t Geleeg, Brik Boom and the Gemeentelijk park offer different highlights. If you would like to include several locations and a longer route, the Happen-en-Trappen route can provide a framework for your planning. This means you choose accommodation not just based on the place name, but on the travel experience you are looking for in Boom and the Rupel region.

For comparing other destinations, you can also choose from Zoersel, Ranst, Beerse, Heist-Op-Den-Berg, Kapellen, Geel, Eindhout and Hemiksem.

For the overview of the wider region: Province of Antwerp.