Easy hikes and walks in Zennevallei Met Het Kasteeldomein Van Relegem

The chapel is located in a rural setting. The door is always open, but candles are no longer allowed in this devotional chapel due to frequent (intentional or accidental) fires.

The Eglegem Pond covers over 43 hectares and was created in the late 1960s as a sand extraction pit for the construction of the E19 motorway. During the winter, large flocks of waterfowl settle here, including shelduck, tufted duck, pochard, gadwall, grebe, coot, and black-headed gull. Eco-friendly bank and roadside management is being implemented around the Eglegem Pond.

Between the rose garden and the summer gardens, you'll find an extensive collection of plants, herbs, and forgotten vegetables. This is the ecotope garden, where plants are grouped by ecotope or habitat. Ecotope Garden The collection is planted according to habitat, so plants that require the same soil and environment grow together. In addition to Mediterranean herbs, you'll also find forgotten vegetables, vegetables from around the world, and various fruits. There's also a dune area, a heathland, a field and meadow, and a shady side. The Ecotope Garden Inspired by permaculture, we transformed our old vegetable garden into a new ecotope garden. From labiata in a strictly symmetrical bed to Mediterranean herbs in an organic sunbed. A hidden gem in the park, perfect for learning about herbs, berries, wildflowers, and trendy vegetables, or for a peaceful picnic and stroll. It's no coincidence that we opened our ecotope garden in 2017, the 500th anniversary of Rembert Dodoens' birth. This Mechelen city physician and personal physician to Emperor Maximilian II rewrote history with his publication of the Herb Book. Our ecotope garden is the perfect starting point for educational walks about herbs and medicinal plants.

Summer Gardens Don't be misled by the names of these three gardens. With a diverse selection of perennials, various ornamental shrubs, heirloom apple trees, and a collection of peonies... they're worth a visit in any season! But it's during (late) summer that the garden truly explodes with color, thanks to the abundant blooms of dahlias and cannas.

The Chapel of 't Hammeke in Zemst: Between Water and Pavement. The Chapel of Our Lady in 't Hammeke, popularly known as the Chapel of Ham, is nestled in the Zenne Valley near Zemst. Originally founded in the 15th century on a siltation ("ham") of the Zenne, the chapel served as a local pilgrimage site for centuries. Due to the straightening of the Zenne in 1485 and the construction of the E19 motorway in the 20th century, it was literally trapped between the river and the motorway. The surrounding neighborhood, "De Brug," disappeared, and the chapel became isolated and threatened. Thanks to its protection as a monument since 1974 and a restoration grant from the Flemish government in 2021, the chapel recently underwent a thorough renovation. Archaeological research uncovered remains of centuries-old foundations. Since September 2023, the interior has been permanently visible through a reopened alcove. This special chapel, at the intersection of nature, history and infrastructure, continues to tell its silent story.

The Vrijbroekpark, officially the Provincial Green Domain Vrijbroekpark, is a park in the Belgian city of Mechelen. It is located on the edge of the city and is 65 hectares in size. The province of Antwerp is the owner and it is freely accessible every day. It organizes walks, events and exhibitions, among other things.

The Vrijbroekpark, officially the Provincial Green Domain Vrijbroekpark, is a park in the Belgian city of Mechelen. It is located on the edge of the city and is 65 hectares in size. The province of Antwerp is the owner and it is freely accessible every day. Among other things, walks and exhibitions are organised there. In 2018 it is known that the park will be significantly expanded by the purchase of land by the provincial government. The park contains: a rose garden with more than 100 rose species, which received the Award of Garden Excellence in 2003 a dahlia garden a canna garden an ecotope garden, on a former city dump water features a playground a brasserie and a cafeteria with an outdoor terrace playing fields for football, basketball, cricket, tennis, petanque and hockey, and a fish pond a salicetum or willow arboretum: a living collection of different willow species and/or varieties. a ghost hotel: the foundations of a failed hotel project from the 1970s, overgrown by nature. The Vrijbroekpark is home to one of the largest European populations of creeping marsh warbler, a rare plant that benefits from keeping the grass lawns very short. In 2018, several hundred thousand specimens were counted. The park is part of the Natura 2000 area Forests of the southeast of the Zandleemstreek.

In the Vrijbroekpark in Mechelen there is a waste-free picnic table. At first glance there is nothing special to see on the table, except that it is quite large and unusually shaped. What is special, however, is that the table is made of wood from trees that come from the park. The idea is that visitors prepare their picnic at home and pack it in sealable boxes, so that they do not have to leave any waste behind. That is why there are no waste bins anywhere around the inaugurated picnic table.