Just 15 km out of Brussels, Beersel offers a number of walks in the Pajottenland. One of these, the Herisem walk is about 7 km. Once you’re out of the centre of Beersel, the walk is largely across quiet roads, some unpaved, some sunken. This walk is nowhere near adventurous, but you’d need to put on your walking shoes.
While the walk is well sign-posted by hexagonal plates, a few signs are missing due to construction works. So you need to get a map from the tourist office. This map lists not only the Herisem walk, but 3 other walks in the area of Beersel as well as a cycling route. The tourist office is inside the Lambiek visitor centre, where you can learn about the 1,500 years unique brewing tradition of the region.
Back to the walk, it starts at the Church of Our Lady in Beersel, a mini-cathedral and sanctuary. Turn left on the Brusselsesteenweg, then turn right at the Colruyt. Follow the brook.
This brook, called Molenbeek flows into the Zenne. It is only 8 km long, with a decline of 70 m. It is so narrow that you could easily jump over it. Yet no less than 21 mills were once active along the short and narrow brook and its branches, and at least 15 of these were paper mills. Even in ancient times, the city of Brussels was in great need of paper.
In the middle of the walk, you’ll cross the Herisem paper mill, an amazing site of industrial heritage. It dates back to the 8th century and rightfully lends its name to the walk.
Continuing, you’ll have a view on the valley of the Molenbeek, pass alongside the Begijnbos forest and end in a sunken road which leads you back to the starting point.
The scenery is a mixture of the brook, forests, agriculture and a few historic buildings. If you’re lucky, you’ll see one of the famous Brabant draft horses in the meadows.
A few impressions from the walk on a beautiful autumn day:
