Walking barefoot outdoors feels unusual to most people. Yet walking without shoes is actually healthier than walking with them on. At the BloteVoetenPark in Brunssum, you cover no less than four kilometres barefoot. Surprisingly fun, and quite a challenge.
Fun and healthy
Walking barefoot through mud, sand or grass brings you closer to nature. If you're not used to it, it feels unusual at first. On top of that, it's good for your blood circulation, coordination and digestion. The benefits of barefoot walking are similar to those of foot reflexology.
A varied route
Along the four-kilometre path, your feet get to know all kinds of surfaces. You walk over forest paths and sandy tracks, sometimes cold, sometimes warmed by the sun. Along the route you'll find containers filled with pebbles and pine cones. You'll also come across obstacles, such as balance beams and a maze.
Physical and spiritual challenge
Braver visitors can take on the obstacle course across the pond. Using posts placed upright in the water, and with nothing but a loose rope to hold onto, you make your way to the other side. Quite a challenge. Prefer to stay dry? Then you can walk in a wide loop around this obstacle course.
After this challenge comes a calmer part of the route, past small lanes with various sayings. Then follow circles and a triad, which give you something to think about. The stilt path that comes next is mainly a physical test.
Feet in the clay
In the mud pool, you stand knee-deep in mud. Afterwards, you jump from rock to rock on the Obelix path, before rinsing off most of the mud at the water step. You wash off the last bits at the foot-washing area. Want to unwind a little longer? Then head to the nature terrace of Restaurant BloteVoetenHut, one of the nicest terraces in Limburg.
Practical information
The BloteVoetenPark is located on the Ganzepool in Brunssum, on the edge of the Schutterspark. Parking is free.
The park is open from Wednesday to Sunday, from 10:00 to 18:00. During school holidays and in June, July and August, the park is open every day. The admission price for visitors aged 13 and over starts at 12.50 euros, with higher rates during peak season. Children aged 3 to 12 pay from 7.50 euros, and children under 3 get free entry. Online tickets are cheaper than tickets bought at the gate.
Besides the BloteVoetenWandeling, you can also book a children's birthday party or a school outing, or join the Stef Bos Wandeling. Travelling with a larger group? Then renting a minibus is a convenient way to travel together. For those who prefer their shoes on, there's also the new AvonturenBerg climbing forest, right next to the park.
An experience you'll be talking about for a while
As uncomfortable as it feels to take your shoes off, it feels just as strange to put them back on afterwards. Walking barefoot becomes surprisingly natural, surprisingly fast. Don't underestimate the walk either: covering "just" four kilometres easily takes an hour and a half to two hours. Tired but satisfied, you'll step back into the car afterwards. Read more about Day trips with Adrem.
