Ham: Nature Trails and Cultural Heritage

Sandy soils, pine-covered dunes and sandy paths shape the Gerheserheide. There are also signposted hiking trails, a nature reserve in Veldhovenheide and historic buildings with remarkable details. You can explore Ham in different ways depending on what you want from your holiday: with longer hikes, a shorter loop or a look at the region’s architectural history.

Nature trails of different lengths

In De Rammelaars, five signposted hiking trails lead through the area. Routes range from the 2.5-kilometre Laarzenpad to Dreven en houtkanten, at 8.1 kilometres. In between are the Drogevoetenpad, at 3 kilometres; the Nachtegalenwandeling, at 3.5 kilometres; and Rond en door de Rammelaars, at 5.1 kilometres. This lets you choose your planned hiking distance based on specific lengths, rather than treating all the trails as the same. Conditions on the trails may vary by season.

Veldhovenheide also offers several options: there are two circular hiking trails, one 4 kilometres long and the other 5 kilometres. You can combine them into a 7.5-kilometre hike. Natuurpunt also manages a 50-hectare nature reserve in Veldhovenheide, which is part of the Grote Beek valley. The natural areas and marked loops provide a distinct focus for days when you want to spend your time outdoors.

The listed starting points are useful for planning your route. The Hamse Loopomloop starts at the beginning of the Finnish running track behind Het Vlietje sports hall, Sportlaan 10A. The Land van Ham cycling route starts at the municipal square at Dorpsstraat 19 in Tessenderlo-Ham; parking for this route is available at De Zille, Dorpsstraat 15. Hiking and cycling therefore have different starting points, which you can account for separately in your day’s plans.

Landscape and cultural heritage

The Gerheserheide is a 200-hectare natural area. Sandy soils, pine-covered dunes and sandy paths give the landscape its distinctive character. The Schans van Gerhees, a protected 17th-century monument, is also located in this forest. It consists of a rectangular earthen rampart amid an area with ponds and is surrounded by ditches. Its location is described using the route junctions: the Schans is at hiking junction 11 and between cycling junctions 276 and 278.

The Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Geboortekerk in Oostham offers a different view of architectural history. Its walls are made of Diestian iron sandstone and feature opus spicatum, a masonry pattern also known as herringbone masonry. The Chapel of the Lords of Ham stands on the south side of the Parochiekerk Onze-Lieve-Vrouw Geboorte. At the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekapel, the wrought-iron gate bears the year 1864; the chapel was completely renovated in 1944. These details give a visit an architectural and historical focus that is clearly distinct from the nature trails.

If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Ham, you can start planning by deciding what kind of holiday days you would like: hikes of your chosen length, nature watching in the areas described, or historic buildings and their details.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Dilsen, Lanklaar, Alken, Heusden-Zolder, Bocholt, Meeuwen-Gruitrode, Borgloon, Bilzen.

For the main travel overview: Limburg.