The best hiking routes in Limburg

Limburg offers two distinct forested landscapes, both shaped by human hands but differing underfoot and in atmosphere. In the east, Nationaal Park Hoge Kempen sits on a high gravel terrace left by the Meuse river, where historical coal mining has left a legacy of steep spoil tips. Here, you walk on dry gravelly sand, transitioning from dense pine plantations to open heathland. In August, the purple heather blooms across the dry slopes of the Mechelse Heide, contrasting with the deep blue water of former gravel pits.

Further north, Nationaal Park Bosland presents a flatter, more enclosed landscape dominated by vast pine forests planted on shifting inland dunes. The ground here is softer, consisting of fine sand and pine needles that muffle your steps. While the Hoge Kempen offers elevated vantage points over its industrial lakes, Bosland keeps you deep within the trees, where the focus is on the scale of the timber plantations and the quiet of the forest floor.

This is a gently rolling province rather than a region of deep valleys or rocky peaks. The paths are well-defined, but you will find that the busier hubs near the visitor centers quickly give way to quieter stretches as you move deeper into the pines. Choosing between the two areas comes down to whether you prefer the open, gravelly heights and industrial heritage of the Hoge Kempen or the flat, sandy pine forests of Bosland.