Intro
It was too warm for a long hike, so we were looking for a short walk, preferrably through forests to keep us cool. We decided to go for the start of the famous GR 5 trail. Last year we hiked from Essen naar Kalmthout and one day we would have to fill in the remaining gap between the start in Bergen-op-Zoom and Essen anyway.
Travel information
We traveled by train from Antwerpen to Bergen-op-Zoom. Just take the IC train to Amsterdam, get off in Rosendaal and board a train to Bergen-op-Zoom. Traveltime: 45 minutes.
To return to Antwerpen we took a local train in Essen. Traveltime is also 45 minutes.
The hike
Our topoguide starts the GR 5 trail at the youth hostel Klavervelden just outside of the town of Bergen-op-Zoom. From the train station it's a 3,5 kilometer walk to the youth hostel, on top of the 15 kilometers we had planned to walk.
The walk from the station follows the Dutch LAW 5-1 (the Delta path) trail which in turn is part of the eastern GR 5 / E2 branch and also of the European E9 Coastal Path. That way it certainly won't be a waste of time for GR 5 hikers.
However, that doesn't mean it's an interesting part of the hike. The historic center of Bergen-op-Zoom is situated in the opposite direction, so we didn't get to see any of it. Maybe some other time. Now the trail just lead us out of town, walking us through the usual housing quarters like you'll find them around any town.
We had made the perfect choice for a warm day. At the youth hostel the hike enters a forested area and it will stay that way for most of the time. There was a bit of wind, just enough to keep us cool. We had left the heavy hiking boots at home and had put on our joggers. We didn't expect bad weather, nor rough or difficult paths. Although the joggers felt less solid, we didn't regret it for a moment.
Youth hostel Klavervelden is an important reference point for GR hikers. Not only GR 5 passes here as an extension of the LAW 5-1 path. It is also the place where the Floris Path (LAW 1-3) finishes and continues onto to the GR 12 trail. Together these paths make up the Amsterdam - Paris trail. You'll also meet the LAW 11 (the Borderland Path) which follows the Belgium - Netherlands border. No wonder the hiking pole points to all directions.
We definitely choose the direction of Nice (not a bad idea, given the high temperatures).
(click the picture for more images on Picasa)
Soon after the start on an asphalted road we entered the forest paths. The region is covered with mainly pine forests. The fir needles turn the paths into soft carpets. Further on the paths become more sandy. Keeping to the edge of the forest we look at open fields. More than once we're tempted to sit down in the shade and to enjoy the peace and quiet of the region.
The trail leads us along the nature reserve Borgvlietsche Duinen. Ages ago the area used to be covered with barren sand dunes. Later on the trees were planted to stabilise the soils.
We pass by a neatly fenced golf course. It's noon and there are no players to be seen. The only activities are all concentrated at the clubhouse: lunching and socialising.
Further up the trail we enter the public part of the Wouwse Plantage (Plantation). Just like the Borgvlietsche Duinen this is another forested area. It has a remarkable history.
In 1839 the whole area was bought by a rich banker from Antwerpen (De Caters). He made his fortune in our former colony Congo. He turned the area into a self-supporting estate, complete with a lumberyard, a brick-yard and a small village for the workers and the employees. He even had a pub built on the estate. In 1895 he went bankrupt and the estate was sold. Over the years legacy and inheritance matters divided the estate and a whole section became public domain. The buildings are still private property and not accessible to the public.
The area is still known as the Wouwse Plantage, and also the nearby village carries that name.
Before we get there we pass a number of tulip fields. The flowers are just opening up, enough to slowly turn the fields into coloured strips of yellow and red. Had we come a few days later it would have been a wonderful sight. Anyway, the tulips make it clear that these are the Netherlands.
GR 5 now brings us at the entrance of the village. From here up to the Belgian border the trail follows a small straightlined canal, the Zoom.
In the village we notice a pub with a terrace. Time for a break. The place is very busy but it seems to be the only open pub for miles around. We're lucky we found it.
The Zoom dates from the 14th century. It was used to transport the peat that was found here at the time. The canal goes all the way to Belgium where the name changes to Spillebeek. It's so small that's it's hard to imagine boats on it.
At Wouwse Plantage we've left the forested area and from now on we should be walking in the plain sun. Fortunately the Zoom is surrounded by trees making it a long green shady tunnel in the open landscape (Zoom means seam, rim).
At the Belgian border we leave the Zoom and follow the border itself along the sandy Hollandse Dreef (Dutch Lane) during one and a half kilometers. Many bikers get stuck in the sand.
Getting at the railway track Antwerpen – Roosendaal the trail finally enters Belgium. We're now heading to Essen, passing by the old Quarantainestallen (the Quarantine Stables).
From 1896 on, this was a place where the cattle that was imported into Belgian was put in quarantine. Apart from a similar building complex in Visé (Wallonia), this is the only surviving one in Flanders. It now houses a weekly flea market. There's a museum and a tavern.
A bit further the trail turns right and continues towards the Kalmthoutse Heide, but for us the hike is almost finished. We say goodbye to the GR 5 signs and walk straight ahead to the train station of Essen. Ten minutes later we're there.
| Next > |
|---|
