This hike in the Flemish Ardennes is a great introduction to the region, it shows you some of the most beautiful landscapes and panoramic views. If you’ve never been to the Flemish Ardennes (Vlaamse Ardennen in Dutch) I would highly recommend taking on this adventure.
Hike description
Distance: The total distance for this hike is 16 kilometers (loop hike)
Elevation gain: The total incline was 304 meters
Moving time: According to Strava my moving time was 3 hours and 9 minutes.
Difficulty: I would rate this as a rather easy hike. Lots of walking is on paved roads with a few exceptional single tracks. There are some climbs but nothing really hard.
Address parking: Kwaremontplein, 9690 Kluisbergen
There is an extended route available (18,6 km) wich I describe below.
Parking is quite limited but I’m sure if you look around in the neighborhood you’ll find a spot somewhere. The pinned location on the Google map below will allow you to navigate straight to the starting point of the Panorama hike in Kwaremont.
How to get to Kwaremont?
The best way to get to Kwaremont is by using your own car. As this is a small village in the countryside of the Flemish Ardennes, public transportation is rather limited. An option could be to take a train to Ronse or Oudenaarde and then take a bus from the train station to the village of Kwaremont. Buses are not so frequent so make sure to check the schedules.
With the car it is about 1 hour and 10 minutes to get from Brussels to Kwaremont.
To get to Kwaremont from Brussels with the train and bus it takes about 2 hours depending on the transfer times.
What is the easiest way to hike the panorama route in the Flemish Ardennes?
Generally speaking for all hikes, the easiest way is to download a .gpx file that you can view on a gps device, a smartphone or smartwatch. It will tell you step-by-step how to walk. It also includes an elevation profile of the hike which can help you to decide if this hike is for you or not. All the hikes on this blog are being tracked on Strava (sports tracking smartphone application) and Wikiloc (community based hiking smartphone application).
For this route in particular it is quite easy to follow the signs of the ‘Panorama route’. I only spotted one intersection where the sign was gone but it was still obvious which way to take.
Download the GPX file right here: panorama-route-flemish-ardennes.gpx
What are the Flemish Ardennes known for?
Kwaremont and the Flemish Ardennes in general are known mostly for the professional cycling races such as the Tour of Flanders, E3 Harelbeke and Dwars door Vlaanderen. However not only cycling is popular in this beautiful region. Hiking in the Flemish Ardennes is also very attractive to many people because of the hilly countryside landscapes. The highest point is the Hotondberg (145 meter) where we will also pass by during this hike.
If you’re more interested in hiking in the ‘real’ Ardennes in Wallonia, these posts might be for you:
- How to hike around the Nisramont lake in the Ardennes (16 km) ?
- Hike at Chateau de Veves and Furfooz (15 km)
- Best hike in Bouillon Belgium is the 14 Panorama route (28 km)
How was hiking the Panorama route in the Flemish Ardennes?
The starting point of this route was at the Kwaremont Plein right across the parking. Go into the Keuzelingsstraat and start following the signs.
A few 100 meters into this hike you will already be treated with some beautiful views over the neighboring town of Berchem which is also part of Kluisbergen.
At around 2 kilometers there is a small path that requires a bit of climbing but its only 200 meters. Something funny that I noticed is that there were some kind bumps every few meters in the path and apparently this is to avoid mountain bikers using this route. I truly think mountain bikers and hikers can coexist peacefully, some people however don’t share this idea.
In the distance you can see the church and the forest of Zulzeke which you will pass through in a few kilometers. When seeing the forest in the distance I was hoping I would have to pass through it and indeed, the hike passed through and it didn’t disappoint.
For a bit less than a kilometer you will make your way through the forest (Dutch name is Spijkerbos or Elenebos) and right after leaving there’s a bench with a beautiful viewpoint which could potentially be a good lunch spot. Although I prefer to always hike a bit over half and then take a lunch break, it makes it easier after lunch knowing that you’ve done over half already.
After leaving the forest there’s a descent with a beautiful view on your right side, immediately after there’s a climb again which made me sweat for a minute. For the next few kilometers the walk continues over asphalted roads which are not my favorite to be honest. You will be rewarded again with some off road trails later.
At around 10 kilometers I was a bit confused as there was a huge iron gate on the way but right next to it there’s a small pedestrian gate. It feels a bit like trespassing because you will be walking right next to a farm but it is actually the official route (only for hikers). Now you can see the former windmill called ‘Molen ten Hotond’, which is the highest point of the Flemish Ardennes (145 meter above sea level). It is transformed into a hotel, bar and restaurant now. There’s also a small 9 kilometer hike that shares some paths with this Panorama route, potentially you could combine both and extend this route with about 3 kilometers. I might try that in the future. Edit: I tried that, read about it below.
Fun fact: I lived just a few hundred meters from ‘De Hotond’ for the first 21 years of my life.
You’re well over half way now and The Hotond has a bar and restaurant so it might be the perfect place for a drink and/or some food. It can get quite crowded during high season so if you’re planning to eat there I recommend to reserve a spot upfront. I actually never ate there so I can’t vouch for their food but I heard some good things about it. This is the website of the Hotond Sporthotel.
After seeing the Hotond in the distance you have to go right and a bit later you have to pass over a hill that looked very beautiful. I really enjoyed this part of the hike.
Right before reaching the roads back to Kwaremont you will pass through a small forest that was quite beautiful actually. I envy the people living next to it. There are only a few houses there and it was so peaceful!
Now about a kilometer more and you reach the village of Kwaremont again. There are some bars and restaurants there so it might be a good opportunity to get some well deserved refreshment!
Extension to the Panorama Route in the Flemish Ardennes
As I was born in this region it wasn’t my first hike in the Flemish Ardennes, I know most roads and trails in this region. When I first did the Panorama Route in the Flemish Ardennes I noticed that there were some overlapping trails with the 9 kilometer hike that goes through and around the Hotond forest. When I did the Panorama route for the second time I decided to add this loop that even passed by my dad’s house. If you have some extra time and energy I would definitely recommend to hike the extension. And you can see some beautiful graffiti art created by one of my friends Pete One. It adds about 1 hour or 2,5 kilometer to the official panorama route. Refer to my Wikiloc entry below to see the details.
Download the GPX file right here: flemish-ardennes-panorama-route-with-extension-through-hoton.gpx
Should you hike in the Flemish Ardennes?
As I grew up in this region I never truly appreciated its beauty but after living for a few years in a city surrounded by … even more cities I started realizing that the Flemish Ardennes are actually very beautiful!
Whether you’re already there to watch a cycling race and want to extend your trip or you just want to have a nice day trip. I can 100% recommend the beautiful Panorama route from Kwaremont!
Not so fun fact: I lost all my photos from the first time so I did this hike again. Didn’t regret a single minute of it though!