The best walks and hikes around Hoeselt

Watch here a beautiful film about the history of Alden Biesen and the Teutonic Order: https://youtu.be/YXJjgloHpH8?si=-T5CilBr4_Vu4Ov4

The orchards around the castle together form the largest high-stem orchard in Europe and cover more than 40ha. There are over 200 varieties of cherries, plums, apples and pears.

This section, together with the water lock and the outer bailey, belongs to the oldest parts: in the Apostles' House, remains of the late Gothic ordinance from the second half of the 16th century from the building campaign of Land Commander Wijnandt van Brijel have been preserved. The complex is located at the highest point of the domain, on the eastern side of the commandery. Seven avenues converge at the gate, symbolizing the Seven Sorrows and Joys of Mary. To the right of the gatehouse was the now disappeared Apostles' House; it was an L-shaped building of two storeys, with a chapel on the ground floor, and twelve rooms for needy men, hence the name Apostles' House; late Gothic core from the second half of the 16th century, enlarged and adapted in 1716-1726, under Commander Damian Hugo von Schönborn, as indicated by a facade stone. After World War II, the Apostles' House slowly deteriorated but has since been restored.

This boardwalk is located in the nature reserve de Motmolen: https://youtu.be/dvlbNrtk4W0

This place used to be the location of the Motmolen, the nature reserve is named after it: https://youtu.be/dvlbNrtk4W0?feature=shared

The artwork #inconcreto is both a tourist attraction and a viewpoint. #inconcreto is a concrete head over four meters high and slightly less wide. This landscape artwork by Frits Jeuris is about the contrast between abstract and concrete. A place that inspires reflection and fresh ideas. From the top of the giant concrete head, you overlook the surroundings.

On the site where a manor house stood in the Middle Ages, the castle of Hardelingen was built in the 19th century. The site had continuous habitation from early on and was closely linked for centuries to agricultural exploitation in the fertile valley of the Werm. As a manor house, the domain served not only as a residence but also as an economic center that managed and structured the surrounding land within the traditional agricultural landscape of Haspengouw. Today, the castle of Hardelingen, located in the quiet village of Werm, is a valuable example of the transformation of a medieval manor house into a stately 19th-century country residence. The castle and the surrounding park landscape strikingly illustrate the neoclassical ideals of order, harmony, and scenic beauty, thus occupying a special place in the heritage of Haspengouw. Want to know more about the past? Click through to https://www.burchten-kastelen.be/provincies/limburg/042%20Kasteel%20van%20Hardelingen/Kasteel%20van%20Hardelingen.html

The story of Alden Biesen does not begin in Limburg, but at the scorching gates of besieged Acre. In 1190, German merchants built a field hospital there with the sails of their ships, intended for sick pilgrims and wounded crusaders. What began as an act of care and solidarity grew into the establishment of the Teutonic Order; a spiritual order of knights that was soon recognized by the Pope and the Emperor. In our region too, the Teutonic Order left its mark. In the thirteenth century, an impressive commandery was established in Rijkhoven near Bilzen: Alden Biesen, the headquarters of the bailiwick of Biesen, which managed dozens of properties in the region. For centuries, this domain was a center of power, wealth, and religious influence. But at the end of the eighteenth century, disaster struck. During the French Revolution, the property of the Teutonic Order was confiscated. In 1797, Guillaume Claes, the mayor of Hasselt, bought the domain and saved it from demolition. Nevertheless, it fell into disrepair, and in 1971, a severe fire destroyed almost the entire castle. Only the walls remained standing. Fortunately, the Flemish government intervened, and a thorough restoration followed. Today, Alden Biesen is once again a vibrant heritage site where you can relive the past in the castle, the garden, and the museum. Want to know more? Click through to https://www.alden-biesen.be/geschiedenis