The best traffic-free bike rides around Hulshout

Hill located in Herselt, at the top there is a wine estate where you can also have a drink.

The Grote Nete, roughly speaking, marks the transition to the Kempen region. This rain-fed river flows through a diverse landscape with vast marshlands, sandy grasslands, and mixed forests. The Grote Nete valley includes the Grote Laak, Kleine Laak, Rode Laak, Wimp, Herselt Loop, and Zaartloop. Source and more (with hiking tips) at https://www.landschapsparkdemerode.be/vallei-van-de-grote-nete

The Liniebrug bicycle and pedestrian bridge is part of the Liniefietsweg (Line Cycle Path), which is approximately 800 meters long and also includes a small bridge over the Steenkesbrug and new bicycle posts. Day trippers, such as hikers, also benefit: Hulshout is located in the Grote Nete valley, where the Sigma Plan is creating "wet nature." No fewer than 850 hectares of flower-rich grasslands and reed beds will be added, the favorite habitat of numerous unique plants and animals. This wet nature also serves a safety function. It acts like a sponge and retains water, so flooding should soon be a thing of the past. Source and more information on the Sigma Plan website: https://www.sigmaplan.be/nl/nieuws/liniebrug-over-grote-nete-feestelijk-ingefietst You can also find more information about the Sigma Plan in the region at the information board of the Paddle Route on Netestraat (the large bridge that forms the border between Westmeerbeek and Heultje), specifically on the back of that information board. See https://www.komoot.com/nl-nl/highlight/8241341 Both the bridge and the road take their names from a nearby large body of water, called "De Linie" (The Line), located west of the other pond, "De Poer."

The foundation stone of the new St. Michael's Church in Westmeerbeek was laid in 1939. There is a commemorative plaque on the right rear of the church. The restored western tower of the old church was integrated into the new church. The building is constructed of brick with a slate roof and a more modern interpretation of Gothic elements such as pointed arch windows and doors, buttresses, and connecting flying buttresses by the Dutch architect and urbanist Jos Ritzen, who moved from his birthplace of Heerlen to Antwerp in May 1924. He initially worked in the style of local modernism before developing a more regionally-oriented architecture. Ritzen designed several churches and houses but also (co-)designed buildings familiar to every walker, such as the new Achelse Kluis (Achel Hermitage) from the interwar period. However, it is the ruins of the old St. Michael's Church (whose tower, after restoration, was integrated into the new one) that are often mentioned and are barely visible from the road. A surprise for the casual walker. The listed ruins of the late Gothic church from the fifteenth century were saved from decay (it had been overgrown with ivy) after a decision by the Kempens Landschap Foundation and the municipality of Hulshout. aNNo architects, who were commissioned to do the work, write about the restoration approach at https://www.annoarchitecten.be/projecten/sint-michielskerk The square in front of the church is the starting point of a walk suggested by De Merode landscape park, and it goes without saying that the ruins are part of it. More links: Church ruins of St. Michael on the Kempens Landschap website: https://www.kempenslandschap.be/nl/over-kempens-landschap/domeinen/religieus-erfgoed/kerkruine-sint-michiel Inventory of Immovable Heritage: Parish Church of St. Michael and remains of the former church, https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/41098 A walk starting from the church (suggestion: De Merode landscape park): https://www.bezoekdemerode.be/aanbod/van-t-goor-tot-hof-ter-borght Information board on the square, the first symbol for those wishing to follow the aforementioned pilgrimage route from Herselt, at the entrance to the (new) church.

Beautiful Lourdes grotto with some benches in the shade to rest for a while.

Church dating from 1939, designed by J. Ritzen, incorporating the restored, formerly projecting west tower of the late Gothic church (second half of the 15th century), which has otherwise fallen into complete ruin. The old church, once surrounded by a cemetery (see preserved gravestones), lies east of and perpendicular to the new church; it was an oriented, pseudo-basilica cruciform church of brick and iron sandstone with a three-aisled nave, transept, and a three-sided, closed choir. Only the facades and the iron sandstone pillars with pointed arches are still partially standing. (Inventory of Immovable Heritage)

This monument in the main square commemorates the members of the Westerlo parish who died or were missing in the First and Second World Wars. (TracesOfWar)

In the heart of Herentals stands the Cloth Hall, the most important witness to Herentals' rich past. The building was built in the early fifteenth century by wealthy wool weavers and cloth makers to conduct their trade. In 1512, the building was almost completely destroyed by fire. Reconstruction was completed in 1534. Over the years, the town hall has undergone numerous repairs and renovations. The last major renovation took place in 2010. The Cloth Hall is a simple, rectangular building. The tower is approximately 35 meters high. Since the mid-sixteenth century, a carillon has hung in the belfry. The fifty bells together weigh almost four tons. The carillon is still played regularly. The oldest sources refer to the building as the "gulden huys," "meethuys," or "loothuys." Around 1430, the building was officially given the name "town hall." Since 1998, it has officially been called the Cloth Hall. The belfry is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Cloth Hall now serves a socio-cultural purpose, regularly hosting exhibitions and concerts. During exhibitions, the Cloth Hall is freely accessible. The belfry is not open to the public. Source: https://www.herentals.be/lakenhal