Muziekbos wandelroute

From the car park at the Muziekbos entrance the loop passes the IJsmolenhoeve at the foot of the Muziekberg and follows paths up into the beech forest of the Muziekbos, a wooded residual hill. It passes the Geuzentoren, a round tower of ironstone on the highest point of the forest, and Boekzitting, named after a beech tree that stood there until the 1970s. It then makes a loop east of the forest by country lanes and fields and comes back through the Muziekbos to the start. The chapel of Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Lorette, on the southern slope of the Muziekberg, is near the line.

It is 10.0 km round with 239 m of ascent; allow about 3¼ hours; the grade is Moderate: forest paths with several climbs, and about a quarter of the way on lanes.

The Muziekbos is a nature domain of the Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos: apart from guided visits it is open only from sunrise to sunset and is closed in a storm. On the marked walking paths dogs must be on a lead unless a sign says otherwise, and fires and smoking are banned all year. In spring the forest floor is covered with bluebells. Natuur en Bos says the Muziekbos loop is no longer marked on the ground with its old hexagonal signs, so use the map. It also says a guided visit to the Geuzentoren and the burial mound can be requested from Toerisme Ronse.

The car park at the Muziekbos entrance is marked free on OpenStreetMap; Visit Flanders' walk starts at the IJsmolenhoeve, about 190 m from the car park and on the line. Ronse station is about 4.3 km away in a straight line; Visit Flanders names the Ronde Schoonbroekstraat bus stop for public transport.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.