Along Limburg hiking trails, you will always come across a little chapel
We have gathered 7 beautiful hikes in the Limburg nature, with a touch of spirituality along the way.
Did you know that Flanders has around 15,000 little chapels? They can be found on every street: from small niche statues to atmospheric field chapels. These special monuments add color to the landscape and carry centuries-old traditions and stories. In Limburg, you will find them in abundance as well. During the hikes below, you can enjoy not only the beautiful nature but also a touch of spirituality along the way.
Rullingen, starting point Ulbeek
Start at the village square of Ulbeek for a short hike of 4.5 km (blue) and you will soon come across the Sacred Heart chapel, shaded by two lindens and covered with ivy on the left. This chapel was established in 1893 by the couple Hayen-Bomal on the occasion of the birth of their first child.
Continue the hike through orchards to a beautiful vantage point in Oetersloven and the Chapel of Oetersloven, surrounded by an old orchard with several pear trees and a hawthorn hedge. The chapel, dedicated to Our Lady, is already mentioned in the 12th century, but the current baroque building dates from the 17th century.
Hiking area Elen, starting point church Elen
In the hiking area Elen, the orange route (7.8 km) takes you through the charming village of Elen, along the Maas and the Elerweerd gravel extraction area. Between the village and the Maas floodplains, you will find the Chapel of Rest with a small park next to it where you can take a break (and reflect) during your hike.
Along the yellow hiking loop in this hiking area (7 km), you will find a chapel dedicated to St. Rita - patron saint of hopeless cases. This little chapel has a beautiful interior and is still regularly visited. It is definitely worth a short visit. The yellow hiking loop in Elen brings you within 100 meters of the castle.
Munsterbos, starting point Munsterbilzen Dorp
Along the red hiking loop of 6.2 km through the Munsterbos you will find two special chapels, both built shortly after the end of World War II: the Sint-Amorkapel and the Kapel Geheim Leger from 1947. The Sint-Amorkapel has the appearance of a miniature fortress. The round tower is even equipped with loopholes. The chapel is dedicated to Saint Amor, an 8th-century saint, a French pilgrim who later settled as a hermit in Munsterbilzen. The Kapel Geheim Leger is an accessible chapel from 1947. This simple brick chapel bears the emblem of the resistance movement Geheim Leger. It is built on the site of a former hideout of this resistance movement where several members were executed by the occupiers.
Koersels Kapelleke, starting point De Watersnip
Start at the Visitors Center De Watersnip for a short, accessible hike of 2.4 km and take a moment at the Pilgrimage Site Koersels Kapelleke, which has existed since 1826. A man was lost without water on the heathland. He was very weak and dying. He called upon Saint Mary. A spring emerged, and he survived. In gratitude, he placed a pole with a statue of Mary, which since has been called Our Lady at the Pole or Our Lady by the Little Fountain. A chapel was built, of which the oldest part, the choir, dates from 1833.
This route is fully accessible for wheelchair users and strollers.
Platwijers Wijvenheide, starting point Heidestrand
If you choose the yellow hiking loop of 12.7 km from the starting point Heidestrand, you will encounter not only tree frogs, bitterns, and herons around the many ponds, but also the chapel of Hamelheide. Centuries ago, a place of worship was established in Stokrooie. First, they built a chapel there, later the Sint-Amandus Church. Today there is a second place of worship, the chapel of Hamelheide, where pilgrims invoke Our Lady of Perpetual Help.