The GR 561 Kempen-Maaspad is one of the greenest long-distance trails in Flanders, connecting a particularly great number of unpaved roads. It starts in Diest (Flemish Brabant) and then travels through Antwerp and Limburg via the Kempen.

The route strings together nature reserves, wet meadows, marshes, fens and heathland. You walk along canals and lush riverbanks, through stream valleys and past water mills. When the route crosses the Dutch border, it leads you through dense forests and along remnants of the miners' past. The climb to the Kempens plateau rewards you with near-endless views. Finally, you descend to Maastricht, the most “Belgian” of all Dutch cities.