Description

Once upon a time, in the woods between Horn and Heythuysen, there was a beautiful castle, Heytse, where a rich nobleman lived, who feared God yet commandment. One Christmas Eve, there was a debauched feast at the castle. Cold and hungry, a beggar knocked on the door to ask for some food to fill his stomach. The lord of the castle laughed at him and had him thrown outside the gate. The beggar scrambled to his feet and shouted, "I curse this castle and its inhospitable inhabitants that they will end up in hell!". When the clock struck twelve on the night, the castle was swallowed up from the face of the earth...

East of the N279, between Horn and Heythuysen, lies the Groote Bedelaar nature reserve, with the fen 'the Great Beggar' as the main feature to which the surrounding nature reserve also owes its name. Rumour has it that the fen marks the spot where the old Heytse castle from the legend above sank into oblivion forever....

The nature reserve has a high cultural-historical value. Not only is there the legend of the old Heytse castle. For years, a prehistoric burial ground was also hidden in the bushes in the Busjop woods. That changed at the end of 2010, when over 3 hectares of forest gave way to an open landscape in which the burial mounds are again easily recognisable. Two years ago, an old owl tower on the estate was also restored and put back into use.

Led by an expert guide, we will explore this area with its special cultural history. We will visit the old burial ground and take a look inside the owl tower. Along the way, we will also pay attention to the autumn season: the damp forest floor, mushrooms, colouring leaves and perhaps a light morning mist form the perfect backdrop for this special walk.

We would like to invite you to put on your walking shoes with us to explore this beautiful area. Afterwards, we will have lunch together at Restaurant De Busjop in Heythuysen, where we will also start the walk.

Sign up no later than 20 October 2013 via our website with simultaneous payment of the membership fee.

gather at the car park of Restaurant De Busjop, Busschopsweg 9, 6093 AA Heythuysen
10:30 a.m.: start walk
12:30 p.m.: start lunch at Restaurant De Busjop

Location

Start from Restaurant De Busjop, Heythuysen

Organiser

Region North and Central Limburg

Name and contact details for information

Chantal Konings: chantal.konings@home.nl