Discover Bierbeek: Forest, Trails and Cultural Heritage

Bierbeek combines a large forest area, characteristic hollow ways and a remarkable cultural heritage. The tourist cultural heritage map brings together churches, chapels, the water tower, three monumental institutional parks, numerous hollow ways and distinctive square farmsteads. This gives the area different starting points for a stay: active days in the countryside, cultural discoveries and peaceful walks with special details along the way.

Forest landscapes and trails for different day plans

Bierbeek’s large forest area is largely thanks to Meerdaal Forest, one of the largest forests in the Flemish Region. In addition, there are kilometres of hollow ways, which are characteristic of the region. The Bierbeek tourism service offers organised walks and cycling tours. There are also signposted walks for different levels through the landscapes of Bierbeek, Korbeek-Lo, Lovenjoel and Opvelp. Those travelling with children of different ages can adapt their day plan to the desired length and preferred level of activity, without limiting the stay to just one way of experiencing the area.

Cyclists also have several specific options. Mountain-bike routes run through Bierbeek. The Knoestige fietsroute Bierbeek passes through the characteristic hollow ways and past wayside chapels, churches and avenues of castle parks. It showcases the region’s heritage of wooded areas. The Bierbeekse zorgfietsroute is a 30 km cycling route that passes care facilities and social initiatives. Another option is the still-rideable Fietstocht Villers, which passes farms that were formerly associated with the Cistercian order.

Churches, Parks and Distinctive Buildings

One of the special cultural destinations is Sint-Hilarius Church. It dates from the 12th century and is considered one of the best-preserved Romanesque churches in Flanders. At the same time, it is a well-preserved example of the transition from Romanesque to Gothic architecture. The transepts contain two Baroque confessionals dating from 1684. The church is not open; you can contact the parish office to arrange a visit. This allows a church visit to be deliberately incorporated into your travel plans.

Bierbeek also has more than 20 chapels and small chapels. The Watertoren van Bierbeek stands out for its spherical shape; the water tower has a capacity of 500 m³ and is 29 metres high. In Lovenjoel, the Groot Park and Klein Park contain rare and special trees, including bald cypresses, rare oak species, beeches, a zelkova and a Magnolia grandiflora. A 25-hectare estate once extended through the Molenbeek valley there. Groot Park is home to de Spoelberch Castle, while Klein Park contains the Felixhof.

Bierbeek as a Starting Point for Choosing Your Accommodation

When looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home in Bierbeek, it is worth first deciding on your preferred travel rhythm. If walks, hollow ways and forest are to be the focus, you can plan your days around the signposted trails and Meerdaal Forest. Those who prefer culture will find several different themes in Sint-Hilarius Church, the chapels, square farmsteads, parks and the water tower. For a more active stay, the mountain-bike routes and the three cycling tours mentioned above offer specific inspiration.

The numerous monumental square farmsteads, which bear witness to the prosperity of the region, complete the picture of a landscape where nature and rural cultural heritage belong together. LENSscape comprises two permanent photographic walks along set routes, offering another way to consciously discover Bierbeek on foot. When choosing your accommodation, you can therefore consider whether you mainly want to plan varied days out or combine culture, landscape and exercise.

You can also find out more about other places: Huldenberg, Grez-Doiceau, Braine-L'alleud, Waterloo, Perwez, Dilbeek, Mont-Saint-Guibert and Sint-Kwintens-Lennik.

For the broader travel overview: Brabant.