The last week of february it feeled like spring in The Netherlands. That was for me a good opportunity to visit Hoge Kempen National Parc. For me it was “only” 2.5 hours driving from home. There are 6 locations to enter the parc. I choose for Mechelse Heide and Connecterra. At 10.30 AM I arrived at the little parking Mechelse Heide, I thought I am the only one there, but the opposite was true, the parking was almost full. A lot of people where hiking and cycling in the surroundings. I decided to hike with my parents the most simple trail, the blue route. After the pleasant hike I drove 6 km north to the site Connecterra where the visitor center is from the Hoge Kempen. Very close to the entrance of Connecterra there is a huge shopping place (Maasmechelen Village). Els wrote about it in the the review below. I came also not for shopping, but with a parking place of more then 1600 parkings, it was no problem to park my car at noon. And there are public and clean toilets in de shopping street. I walked in 5 minuts to the entrance of the new visitor center Connecterra. I paid the fee of 3 euro. You can get (buy) hike maps or books  and pay the fee and thats it. There is also a terrace. I expected more inside the building. For example a very little exhibition about the history and background of the parc. But I came for the parc , and again I decided to hike the most simple trail, the blue route. After an hour or so when I came back by the entrance I was satisfied with the two locations I visited and at 2.30 PM I drove back home to The Netherlands.