The purple loop (11.4 km) has received the premium label from the Deutsches Wanderinstitut. This means that it is a quality trail and that the hiker can be sure that they are choosing an exciting hike that is well signposted and maintained.
The Ziepbeek Valley – also called Zijpbeek – is located in the Hoge Kempen National Park and is part of the Pietersheim gateway hiking area. The nature reserve stretches between the steep edge of the Kempen Plateau, on the one hand, and the village centres of Opgrimbie (Maasmechelen) and Rekem (Lanaken) in the Maas Valley, on the other.
Thanks to the seepage water bubbling up from the soil, it is a humid area with marshes, wet heaths, and fens where specific plants and animals thrive. The heather blooms beautifully from mid-August to mid-September.
Meet the Angus and Galloway cattle and enjoy picturesque ponds and streams on your hike through the source of the Ziepbeek Valley.