Smeetshof – Wijffelterbroek Purple Walking Route
The purple route is 6.5 kilometres long and starts at Boshuys Nieuw Vosseven in Stramproy. Several routes criss-cross here, so keep an eye on the purple markers.
Your shoes sink a few centimetres into the soft ground. A little further on, a wooden boardwalk creaks beneath your feet. All around you: reeds, water and willows growing however they please. Welcome to the Wijffelterbroek. Here, nature is reclaiming its old place.
From farmland back to marsh
This was once an impassable marsh. People drained it and turned it into farmland. Now the Wijffelterbroek is turning back the clock. Together with Smeetshof on the Flemish side, it forms one large nature reserve that straddles the border. The area keeps getting wetter, and plenty of plants and animals are thriving because of it. Look closely and you might spot a great crested newt, a raft spider or a darter dragonfly. The European tree frog lives along the water’s edge. And among the greenery grows the oblong-leaved sundew, a tiny plant that catches insects. Meanwhile, the marsh quietly gets on with its work: like a sponge, it soaks up rainwater and slowly releases it again.
Face to face with Tauros cattle
The purple Smeetshof – Wijffelterbroek route is 6.5 kilometres long and starts at Boshuys Nieuw Vosseven in Stramproy. Chances are you’ll suddenly find yourself face to face with Tauros cattle. These sturdy animals resemble the aurochs, which became extinct in 1627. Their grazing keeps the wet landscape varied. Watch them calmly and follow the rules on the signs.
A border you almost miss
Somewhere along the way, you simply step into Belgium. A grey boundary stone among the trees, that’s all. Yet this border was once strictly guarded. At the picnic spot on the border between Weert and Bocholt, there used to be a small customs office. Low hedges now trace the outline of the vanished building. The Weerterbeek once flowed here too, a canal dug in the late Middle Ages. Pour yourself a cup from your flask and read the information boards to find out what happened here.
Our tip: wear sturdy, waterproof shoes. The paths can get properly muddy. It’s all part of the experience.
Stories in the mist
The Wijffelterbroek is part of KempenBroek, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2024. It’s a border region full of stories. For centuries, smugglers made their way along hidden paths through these marshes. The notorious Bokkenrijders (‘goat riders’) are also said to have left their mark here. And at night, will-o’-the-wisps hovered above the water: lost souls, according to old folk tales. True or not? That’s for you to decide.
Foto via PixaBay: Dylan Leagh