Intro
This is the hike that introduced us to the GR 5 (E 2) trail. We found it in the book 'Dagstapper Antwerpen', a collection of loop hikes in the province of Antwerpen, based on existing GR trails. We were only interested in the GR 5 part of the hike, and because start and finish of the hike were situated on the railway line Antwerpen - Amsterdam, we could skip the rest of the loop. That also reduced the distance to 13,2 kilometers, good for a halfday activity.
The highlight of the walk is the Kalmthoutse Heide (the Heathland of Kalmthout). The first half is rather disappointing: mainly boring housing quarters.
Travel information
The hike starts at the train station of Essen and ends at the train station of Kalmthout Kijkuit. Both stations are situated on the same railway track Antwerpen - Amsterdam. The stations are linked to Antwerpen by local trains.
The hike
Leaving the train station of Essen we crossed the bridge over the tracks and turned right into a small road following the railway track. 500 meters further there's an old iron gate and that's where GR 5 made its first appearance.
The gate accesses a beautiful green walking lane. It leads passed a little animal park and soon we were standing in front of the Kiekenhoeve. The farm complex dates from 1767 and once belonged to the abbey of Tongerlo. It's the only one that survived the times. Nowadays it functions as a museum filled with carts and coaches. There is a tavern, good for a morning coffee.
The next 5 kilometers are best described as 'simply boring'. The signs lead through an area of housing quarters.
Finally the houses stopped and we entered a forested area with pleasant walking paths. Another few kilometers later we arrived at the edge of the nature reserve Kalmthoutse Heide.
Leaving the forest suddenly a wide open heathland opened up before us. We walked along the edge for about one kilometer and then entered the area through one of the gates. GR 5 follows the Duinpad (Dune path) to make its way through the heathland. The weekends can be quite crowded here. This piece of nature is one of the top destinations for leisurely walks with family and friends on Sundays. Quite rightly, because the Kalmthoutse Heide is indeed a unique and surprising landscape.
It's a slightly slooping area, mainly covered with heathland. Here and there the white sand surfaces. Scrubs and a few trees provide a nice contrast with the lower marshes. In the distance you always see the forests surrounding the area. The Dune path isn't an easy walk. Most of the time it's loose white sand. The path is a good illustration of what would happen to the heathland if everybody started treading on it. If we want to conserve this unique environment, it's absolutely necessary to keep to the paths.
Sometimes the nature reserve is closed. The GR 5 trail provides an alternative route if that's the case. Mostly this happens in dry periods (fire alarm) or when contagious animal diseases threaten the fauna. That's also the reason why dogs are absolutely forbidden to enter the reserve area. Sadly, some people don't seem to care and bluntly ignore the instructions. That detestable 'nobody tells me what to do' mentality is what destroys everything.
After a few kilometers struggling through the sand we already leave the nature reserve. While increasing numbers of visitors are walking by, we're heading towards the main entrance of the domain. There's a big parking lot, an information office and several taverns. For us the trail continues for another 1,5 kilometer. The little station of Kijkuit is where we end the hike.
The Kalmthoutse Heide made the hike worthwhile, but what really made it special is that for a few hours we were walking on the famous European E2 / GR 5 trail. We were on our way to the French Riviera ...
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