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Using the Long Distance Paths in Flanders

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boogyman:
If you go hiking in the northern half of Belgium (roughly the Dutch speaking part), you are bound to use a mix of (too much) paved and unpaved paths - simply because there is too much construction. Of course, those who outline the "GRs" (GR = Grote Routepad, or Long Distance Path) struggle with the same phenomenon. Nonetheless, in general the GRs are really enjoyable paths for hikers.

Today I combined a stretch of two different GRs: first "Dijleland" and then "Hageland". Dijleland could be translated as "Valley of the Dijle" whereas Hageland could be translated as "District of the Hedges". Both go through areas where a lot of battles were fought during the first World War.

Nonetheless, the bizarre moat on photo 6 was dug just before the second World War. It was intended to stop the German tanks: a concrete wall of about 4 meters (more than half of it below ground level) with a ditch dug at the side facing Germany.

The track of this walk is here:
  http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=6680969

and here's the photo album:
  https://plus.google.com/photos/106284340491436532794/albums/6006630078996225409?authkey=CPH-0JqN9JCg6wE

Callum:
Nice post Boogyman :)

Having only ever driven through Belgium on your autoroutes, wrongly I think of it as a country with few open spaces and countryside. Your posts Boogyman have corrected my perception and in our annual holiday to the northern Alps we are going to take a couple of days to explore Belgium, where would you recommend we start?

boogyman:
Hello Callum, do you think about a city visit or seeing some countryside?

Best regards,
Chris.

Callum:
Countryside please boogyman. I have an interest in WWI & II, however, if there is a specific area which you think really shows off your country well, just as happy to walk this. We could spend a couple of days staying in the area and are happy covering 20km/day walking.

boogyman:
Just PM'd you Callum.

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