Fruit trail

An old railway that used to serve as the lifeline between the orchards and syrup factories of the Haspengouw fruit region will now become a unique recreational route where the ‘fruit experience’ will take on new meaning. The Haspengouw region already has many tourist experience elements: there are various cycling and walking routes, tasting experiences, events, beautiful historical locations, and local businesses with a rich history. Individual pearls in need of a string to connect them – a route that shows them all off individually and pieces them together in a logical, credible story.

The development of the Fruit Trail aims to strengthen the story and qualities of the region internationally. The experience route along the former railway (north) and the old Roman road (south) show the richness of the region and connect villages, towns, fields, and streams. Old trade connections are given a new role as part of a recreational network. Each of the routes offers a different view of the world of fruit orchards, sunken lanes, streams, and panoramas. On each ridge and in each stream valley, we get a different view of how the Limburg locals have lived in harmony with the landscape over the centuries.

The secret of Haspengouw is in the soil. The region is located at the transition from high to low, from dry to wet. It is precisely these transitional zones that are often the most interesting. We see this here, too, where very fertile soils have developed, forming the basis of the fruit industry. Churches and strongholds were built on high points, high and dry and visible far and wide. Villages and towns arose at river crossings and along strategic trade routes. The fertile soils in the immediate vicinity provided food for the inhabitants. Castles had views over their fields and could construct rich gardens. The landscape is the basis for the use and the settlement climate that has characterized this region from ancient to modern times. This is what makes the region unique and where its identity and craftsmanship originate from.

The Fruit Trail cuts through different types of landscape. Neither the railway nor the Roman road were built with an eye for the surroundings, and it is precisely this contrast with the surroundings that creates an interesting route which provides a constantly changing experience. Many of the destinations are not located directly along the railway. The importance of the Fruit Trail, for example, may lie in the fact that it connects the crossroads, providing access to the highlights of the entire area.

There will be various experience sites along the Fruit Trail. These are places where past, present, and future come together. Where the sparkling DNA of Haspengouw shows all its facets and there is coursing energy among local entrepreneurs and administrators to give this place a boost. A first specific task for an experience site is to create a plan for the former station square of Borgloon. Now that the historic syrup factory has been transformed into the Fruit Experience Centre, the square is to serve as the starting point for the route. The design facilitates this new function with a nod to the past.