The best traffic-free bike rides around Wellen

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.

Black devils

On the site where a lordly manor stood in the Middle Ages, the castle of Hardelingen was built in the 19th century. The site had continuous habitation from an early date and was closely linked for centuries to agricultural exploitation in the fertile valley of the Werm. As a lordly manor, the domain functioned not only as a residence but also as an economic center that managed and structured the surrounding land within the traditional Haspengouw agricultural landscape. Today, the castle of Hardelingen, located in the quiet village of Werm, represents a valuable example of the transformation of a medieval lordly manor into a stately 19th-century country residence. The castle and its surrounding park landscape strikingly illustrate the neoclassical ideals of order, harmony, and scenic beauty, thus occupying a special place within 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

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

Webbekoms Broek is part of the Webbekomsbroek-Borchbeemden Flemish Nature Reserve, a contiguous area of 397 hectares managed by the Flemish Agency for Nature and Forests. This also includes the Diesters Broek, the Schaffens Broek, and the Borchbeemden: Rotbroek, Gorenbroek, and Sint-Jansberg. Several watercourses flow through the area. The most important of these is the Demer. The others are primarily its tributary, the Zwarte Beek, the Grote Leigracht, and the Leigracht. The Demer Valley has been plagued by floods for centuries. The most severe floods in recent history date back to 1998. There were also serious floods in Diest in 2008. To prevent severe water damage, retention basins and floodplains were installed. The Webbekoms Broek and its surroundings constitute a floodplain. In September 1998, a retention basin with a surface area of 144 hectares was put into operation in the Webbekoms Broek. The area can hold 3.5 million m³ of water. There is an inner basin and an outer basin. The inner basin is surrounded by dikes. The remainder forms the outer basin, which primarily functions as a nature reserve.

The Schulensmeer is the largest inland lake in Flanders. Numerous benches invite you to take a break.

Northeast of the Sint-Jansberg monastery complex on Schomstraat lies the Oude Pastorij farm, a U-shaped farm dating from the first half of the 19th century, with the open side of the yard facing the street. The brick buildings under gable roofs (Flemish pantiles), hipped on the side wings, are situated around a rectangular yard separated from the street by a long wall and several recent service buildings. The house is located in the center of the central wing, a double house of four bays and two stories on a raised ground floor with a pitched plinth. The rectangular windows have wooden lintels and painted sills, and the rectangular door has a wooden lintel. The house is flanked on both sides by slightly projecting stables of three bays each, with a modified layout. Spacious transverse barns are housed in the perpendicular wings, each of three bays and equipped with an anchored brick basket-arch gate. These volumes feature arched windows and rectangular doors beneath a wooden lintel. Inventory of Immovable Heritage: Carthusian Monastery of Sint-Jansberg and its surroundings, https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/302683

The municipality of Zelem had three parsonages throughout its history. The first was, and still is, located on the Kolenberg and called "Hoeve Oude Pastorij," better known locally as the "Donkelhoeve." Between 1969 and 1972, this farm served as a filming location for the BRT serial "Wij, Heren van Zichem" (We, Lords of Zichem), stories about "De Witte van Sichem" (The White Man of Sichem) and "Het leven van Herman Coene" (The Life of Herman Coene), written by Ernest Claes. In those stories, the farm belonged to farmer Coene. In those days, the pastor's residence was always connected to a farm that provided the pastor with his daily necessities.