Aldeneik

About the area

The hiking region of Aldeneik has a rich cultural history and is peppered with historical facts.

Around the ‘Heerenlaakplas’, you can stroll along the water. In 2002, after the gravel extraction, this area was redeveloped into a landscape with park-like features and paved paths. Two campsites and a marina with a sandy beach were built on the peninsula. In the southern part, a large part of the lake was filled and converted into an agricultural area.

In the hiking area of Aldeneik, you can also walk along the Labaer Dike in Maaseik with a view of the Meuse or enjoy the peace and quiet in the floodplains of the pilgrimage village of Heppeneert. The ancient meadows of this hamlet are the best-preserved floodplains along the Meuse in terms of relief and land division. Moreover, nature reserve ‘De Rug’, just across the border in Roosteren (NL), comes highly recommended. This beautiful nature reserve is located slightly outside the hiking area of Aldeneik but also forms part of the RivierPark Maasvallei. There are no signposted hiking trails here. You can, however, walk from switch to switch here and spend hours strolling through the wild river landscapes or use the switch system of our Dutch partners to create your own route.

Hiking

Five loops lead you along a lot of beauty in the area. If you follow the green (3.2 km) loop, you will come across the gravel lake in Heerenlaak and the village centre of the historic village of Aldeneik. The orange (7.6 km) loop takes you via the Maasdijk to Ophoven. Via this loop, you can join the hiking area of Kessenich and the ‘Drie Eigen’.

Useful to know: both the green and the orange walking loops are wheelchair-accessible!

The practical hiking switches allow you to combine different hiking loops in the area without any problems. That's how you put together your own ideal hiking trail. The routes with all the information can be found on the hiking map 'Aldeneik'.