Kravaalbos walking route

The folk café Bij Stinne has been an established place in Meldert for more than fifty years. Some neighbours took over the torch from Stinne Aelbrecht and gave it a second life. The interior remained as it was – as did the coal stove and the local football team – and home-grown beers appeared on the price list. Meanwhile, Bij Stinne also enjoys national fame, as the café was used as the setting in the third Kampioenen movie. Open on Saturdays from 1pm, and on Sundays from 10am.

On the left-hand side of the trail, you will pass by a hop field several acres in size. The hops here grow in hedges and are meant for harvesting hop shoots or 'keesten', a culinary delicacy. Hop cultivation was introduced to the region around Aalst by Affligem Abbey. The region was responsible for more than one-third of world production in the 17th century. In the 20th century, production moved to the Eastern Bloc, ending this centuries-old tradition, which lives on in the annual harvest festival Pikkeling.

The former Goossens brewery stopped producing beer and vinegar in 1928, after all the copper – and so the hop boilers too – were confiscated by the Germans during World War I. The building stood empty for many years, until in 2017 it was converted, with respect for the historical context, into a cosy neighbourhood inn, with local products on the menu and an adventurous garden where, in good weather, young and old can enjoy themselves. Nature-related activities are also regularly set up from the café. Open on Saturdays from 2pm and on Sundays from 11am.