BALEN A Best Shot! Balen is a small place in Belgium and can be easily explored within a day. Yet it has many interesting things to offer you. People usually consider making a quick stop here before heading to the neighboring cities. On your journey in Belgium, you can have a quick detour to Balen. You can halt here for a quick snack and take a little break from your journey. Meanwhile, you can cheer up at some interesting spots in this decent town. Check out our list of interesting things to do in Balen: Bowling Helios Cosy bowling at Bowling Helios, for young and old. It has been a trusted bowling unit for years. Wonderful lanes and everything tip-top arranged for an evening of bowling! The bowling includes disco bowling, gin bowling, learning to bowl for children This bowling shop is for everyone. Top location for bowling in combination with restaurant and packages. You can have a children’s party here. A place to enjoy bowling to the fullest. Their rates are reasonable and worth spending time there. Even the restaurant is worth giving a shot. The food is exotic. A complete combination of fun and food that you will always love. You will love this bowling until next time. Everyone is welcome! Pakawi Park (olmense zoo) Olmense Zoo is a zoo in the Belgian village Olmen which is part of the town of Balen. The zoo was opened in 1976 by Louis Roothooft, a former captain. As Roothooft loved the circus a big circus tent was placed. Each day the animal carers do performance acts with the animals. The park was in a bad condition due to mismanagement of Roothooft, cages were not adapted to the animal needs and the number of customers was too low to make sufficient profits. That’s why the park was renovated. The investments did succeed with the number of visitors raised. The zoo is now specialized in Felidae: African lions, Siberian tigers, white Bengal tigers, snow leopards, black leopards, Eurasian lynx, Servals, caracals and cougars. The zoo has more than 200 different birds such as parrots, owls, eagles, flamingos, Gruiformes and Threskiornithidae. The zoo has of course other animals such as simian, rodents, small mammals, deers, snakes and bears. Put Olmense Zoo on your list and watch your holiday take shape. Bosland Address: Kiefhoekstraat 16, 3941 Hechtel-Eksel Bosland welcomes everyone to safely come and explore the largest adventure forest in Flanders. Bosland has a long, intriguing history and you can still see that in many places. Bosland is known to many as the largest adventure forest in Flanders. The reason why this area appeals to people so much is a large amount of nature. It is a place where everyone can enjoy nature in different ways: while cycling, walking, playing, etc. Woodland is very extensive with a wide variety of landscapes and nature types. This ensures that many special animal and plant species find their home there. Bosland is the largest adventure forest in Flanders where children are in charge. Bosland wants to reach children and does so by approaching them personally. It offers a lot of adventure for little ones: exciting treasure hunts and geocaches, adventurous play areas to name a few. In addition, there is a huge range of quality routes for walkers, cyclists, mountain bikers and horse riders. Children go on an expedition and leave with a Bengel card. During the treasure hunt, they rest in a special Bosland hammock! Wonderful place to hike with the family! Recreation Park Keiheuvel Recreation Park Keiheuvel is an outstanding landscape. A recreational park with many facilities for all ages: open-air swimming pools, playground, miniature golf, trampolines, bicycle hire, all in- and outdoor sports accommodation, aeroclub, campground, wooded area with interesting cycling and walking routes, children’s farm. It also has swimming pools for toddlers and kids too. It has a unique hiking area, dunes, forests, different types of hiking trails, in other words, a total variation in hiking experience. The starting point for gorgeous walks through Keiheuvel-De Most. The 11.6 km boulder hill walk rightly received the title of the walk of the year. The ubiquitous presence of the airport, with its gliders, is certainly an additional attraction for children. Free entrance except for summertime. You can stay the whole day with the kids. Valley of black brook The Valley of the Black Brook, enclosing 1,300 hectares, is one of the enormous nature reserves in Flanders. It is part of the great brook valley landscape of the Zwarte Beek. That river stretches from Hechtel-Eksel to Diest. The valley is recognized for its extreme variation: from a soggy peaty brook valley to the bone-dry sandy drifting dunes on the heath. If you explore the Valley of the Zwarte Beek, you will not be surprised. The view across the Black Brook Valley on the northern side of the Roaches shows the upland nature on this side of the ridge, a dramatic contrast to the more pastoral southern view. Also, the Zwarte Beek is a prominent resting place for many birds. In the stream valley landscape, there is literally something for everyone: hikers can indulge themselves here, cyclists and riders will get their money’s worth and children can romp to their heart’s content in the play area. So it’s time to go out and enjoy this beautiful piece of nature. Het Moeraspad Address: Halflochtdijk, 2490 Balen Het Moeraspad is another popular natural reserve in Balen you can give a shot to. The Het Moeraspad nature reserve, between the hamlet of Scheps and the borough of Olmen, is a jewel of a stream valley. For centuries, watercourses have moulded the landscape and they still do today. It was voted as ‘most beautiful walk in the province of Antwerp’ in 2012. In this nature reserve, swamps, wetlands, meadows and grasslands alternate that add colour to the landscape and attract many insects. Countless pools, together with the waterways, procure substantial fishes and amphibian population. This valley in the upper reaches of the Grote Nete is a green oasis in the landscape. A bird-watching wall, benches and an island with a picnic area in a pond were designed for tourists. There are several hiking trails with astonishing views that you will surely relish. Sessibon Here is what we have for our foodies. Sessibon, a restaurant located on the market of the Kempen municipality of Balen. Warm and country style, with Tuscan tones, soothing and timeless. The facade is covered with authentic clay. A very friendly restaurant and great owners. Sessibon serves contemporary cuisine, as well as classics, often with the Mediterranean and/or Asian touches. The food is absolutely fabulous. Often they keep “the surprise menu” which is really a surprise – they don’t tell you anything about it. Unless you have exotic dishes in front of you. They offer a portion of great food from appetizer to desert – a real treat! In the summer it is also nice to stay on the beautiful garden terrace, which immediately creates a southern feeling of being on holiday. They also offer a nice wine list with about 80 references. There is a choice of à la carte or a suggested menu. It is a perfect place where food is fun..