Van Heide to Heuvel

Van Heide naar Heuvel It has been over 150 years since the railway line to the Netherlands was inaugurated: on June 26, 1854, the train stopped for the very first time at the Kalmthout station. The train would completely change our region. Villagers could go to the city and its port to work. City dwellers found the village for nature and healthy air. Artists, tourists, and also lung patients found what they were looking for, first for a day out, later for temporary and even permanent residence. Around Kalmthout station, catering and Belle Époque housing grew in the direction of the Heuvel district, opposite and between old pot-stable farms; Heide grew out of nothing as a holiday village. The railway provided new activity, hotels and guesthouses, a tree and plant nursery with worldwide sales, extraction of raw materials, and the beginning of industry. From a closed Kempen village, Kalmthout gradually grew into a very diverse community. The tour makes, with detours, the connection between the two picturesque stations of Kalmthout. Along the way, we find painters and writers, politics from village and city, nature and culture, work and relaxation. After and perhaps even during the tour, there is an opportunity for a snack and a drink. NOTE: Starting point: Station Heide, train back from Kalmthout to Heide at 16:41. Please note, train tickets must be purchased yourself! Distance: 6 km