Nature
Walking around Bruges
From our front door you walk to the Tillegem woods or the park of Loppem Castle in twenty minutes, both 1.5 km away. From there, walks of 1.5 to 12 km begin. For a walk through Bruges itself, take the bus, the stop is 400 metres from the house.
- Distance from Den Eenink
- Tillegem woods and Loppem Castle 1.5 km, a twenty-minute walk
- Dates
- all year
- Price
- free
- Parking
- Free at the house, you set off on foot
Photo: Wouter Hagens, Public Domain
In short
- From Den Eenink you walk to the Tillegem woods or Loppem Castle in twenty minutes
- The Tillegem woods have three signposted walks: 1.9 km, 3 km and 12 km
- The castle park in Loppem has walking loops of 1.5 to 3 km
- Free and open all year, the Tillegem woods from sunrise to sunset
- For a walk through Bruges, take the bus from the stop 400 metres from the house
Walking from the front door
Den Eenink is in a quiet residential area in Zedelgem, between two green estates. The Tillegem woods are on the other side of the E40, the castle park of Loppem on our side. Both are 1.5 km away, a twenty-minute walk.
What we suggest to our guests:
- With young children: the park and the maze of Loppem Castle
- An hour in the woods: the Tillegem walk of 1.9 km
- Half a day on foot: the Three Castles walk of 12 km
Walking routes in the Tillegem woods
The Tillegembos provincial estate covers 144 ha of woodland, heath and meadows around Tillegem Castle. The province of West Flanders has marked out three walks there:
- Tillegem walk: 1.9 km
- Nature walk: 3 km
- Three Castles walk: 12 km, past the castles of Tillegem, Tudor and Beisbroek
The estate is open every day from sunrise to sunset and entry is free. Dogs are welcome on a lead. After your walk, have a drink at In de Trutselaar, an old farmhouse inn on the estate.
Our favourite loop is in walking in the Tillegem woods. For the castle itself and the playground, see Tillegem Castle.
Three Castles walking route: 12 km through the woods
The Three Castles walk is the longest loop in the area. It links Tillegem Castle with the Tudor and Beisbroek estates in Sint-Andries, through woodland and past meadows. In the Tillegem woods it starts at the car park on Wittemolenstraat, and a second start is at the Tudor estate.
Allow half a day, including the walk to and from our house. Bring sturdy shoes. Some forest paths get wet after rain.
Walking to Loppem Castle
The park around Loppem Castle is a twenty-minute walk away. Entry is free. The park was laid out in English landscape style, with ponds and old trees around the neo-Gothic castle of the van Caloen family.
There are three walking loops of 1.5 to 3 km and a 2 km podcast walk with five listening points about the history of the castle. From the Easter holidays to the end of October the hedge maze from 1873 is open too. It costs €2 from age 4.
A city walk in Bruges
For Bruges, leave the car behind. The bus leaves 400 metres from the house and goes straight to Bruges in about 25 minutes.
We like to start on the south side: past the Minnewater and the Beguinage to the Markt. It’s quieter there than in the shopping streets. The rest of the old town is covered in the centre of Bruges.
Frequently asked questions about Walking around Bruges
On the south side of Bruges are the Tillegem woods in Sint-Michiels and the castle park of Loppem in Zedelgem. The Tillegem woods have three signposted walks of 1.9, 3 and 12 km. From Den Eenink you can walk to both in twenty minutes.
The Tillegem walk is 1.9 km, the Nature walk 3 km and the Three Castles walk 12 km. The shortest one is easy with young children.
At the car park on Wittemolenstraat in the Tillegem woods, or at the Tudor estate in Sint-Andries. The 12 km loop links the castles of Tillegem, Tudor and Beisbroek.
Yes, the provincial estate is free and open every day from sunrise to sunset. Parking at the estate is free too.
Yes, dogs are welcome on the provincial estate, as long as they stay on a lead.
In the park of Loppem Castle, in the village of Loppem. There are three loops of 1.5 to 3 km and a 2 km podcast walk. The Tillegem woods are just across the municipal border, in Sint-Michiels.
Also nearby
5 kmBeguinage Ten Wijngaerde
City
White houses around a quiet inner garden, full of daffodils in spring.
3 kmBoudewijn Seapark
With kids
Dolphins and rides, a firm favourite with children.
5 kmBruges Christmas market
Winter
Chalets, an ice rink and lights along the canals, from late November to early January.
Staying nearby
Sleep a quarter of an hour from everything above
We wrote this list for the people who stay with us, but you are very welcome to use it too. And if you are still looking for somewhere to sleep: we rent out a holiday home for 6 people in Zedelgem, 5 km from Bruges, with a garden and a heated swimming pool. Booking direct is cheaper than going through a booking site.