Cycling through the treetops, where innovation and nature meet.
Cycling through the trees Hechtel-Eksel
Cycling through the trees Hechtel-Eksel
Cycling through the Trees is a 700-meter-long landscape cycling bridge in the Bosland nature reserve. The structure offers a unique passage among the treetops while being designed to have minimal impact on the forest. This project fits within the broader vision of the Province of Limburg to connect cycling experiences, landscape quality, and infrastructure in an innovative way.
The design of Cycling through the Trees consists of a double circle with a diameter of 100 meters.
With a constant 4% incline, the path brings visitors up to ten meters high, right among the treetops. The bridge structure is carefully integrated into the forest, requiring minimal tree removal and following a route that maximally respects the existing vegetation.
The design of Cycling through the Trees consists of a double circle with a diameter of 100 meters.
With a constant 4% incline, the path brings visitors up to ten meters high, right among the treetops. The bridge structure is carefully integrated into the forest, requiring minimal tree removal and following a route that maximally respects the existing vegetation.
The foundation consists of screw piles, eliminating the need for heavy excavation or concrete. The steel columns in CorTen steel—449 in total—are rhythmically placed, referencing the vertical structure of the surrounding pines. Despite the scale of the project, the bridge remains discreet within the forest.
The construction was carried out from a single work zone within the forest, without putting pressure on the surrounding ground. This preserved the forest floor and minimized disturbance to the ecosystem. Trees removed for the project were fully reused in the construction of the entrance pavilion at the edge of the site.
Cycling through the Trees is fully demountable and blends unobtrusively into the landscape. Together with earlier interventions such as Cycling over Water and Cycling over the Heath, the project forms a series that links contemporary cycling experiences with high-quality landscape architecture.
