Connecterra Maasmechelen with Fitbit| AD

I want to start this post by stating that the Fitbit Versa shown in the photos was kindly gifted to me at a press event. I was not asked or payed to write a blog post about it.

You don’t have to travel far to see beautiful places. Connecterra is an excellent example of that. This large stretch of land was once a coal mining site, but has been turned into a national park after the mine closed in 1987. Overt the years Connecterra has grown to become an astounding national park with lakes and hilltops from where you can enjoy panoramic views. It’s one of my favorite places close to home to come and enjoy nature in the Fall.

We’ve been to Connecterra a dozen times and it surprises me that I’ve never written about it on the blog before. The central lake is probably my favorite part. The wavy crystal blue water plays with the pebbles on the water’s edge and the reed softly dances with the wind. I just love sitting here and nature-gaze.

No visit to Connecterra is complete without a climb to the top of the ‘terril’. There’s two hill tops to climb and we went up both on the day we made these photos. Let me tell you: it’s not an easy trek up there! Once you reach the top you will be rewarded by an awe-inspiring view and a confetti-throwing FitBit that is proud of your effort.

These were my stats after the first climb, haha. I forgot to take a photo at the end!

Let me tell you a little bit more about the FitBit that I am wearing. It is described as a light Smart Watch that combines elementary heath and fitnessfunctions (including female health tracking) in a modern design.

Now, being the first and only Smart Watch that I ever owned, I can’t compare the size and weight to that of other models. I can say that the screen and band fit comfortably around my teeny tiny wrist ( I have the XS-band in grey and black). The FitBit Versa does not annoy me when I wear it, although it is significantly bigger than the regular watches I used to wear in High School.

The funcionalities. Well… there are two confessions to make here. One is that I don’t do sports or fitness. I just hike. That means I don’t use most of the functions that FitBit offers. I use the step counter and that’s about it. And that is confession number two. This watch is capable of so much more, but I just don’t have a need to test those functions with my current lifestyle. You could even argue that I don’t need a Smart Watch at all. The only other function that I enjoy (and that is directly related to the step counter) is the ranking tool where you can compete with friends for the most steps in a day/week/month. A little bit of social pressure to move around more is never a bad thing! One downside that I have found is that the step counter is not the most accurate. For example: it counted 67 steps while I was sitting in the car to Connecterra!

I also do not use the female health tracking because I’m regular to the dot and know exactly when it will be “that time of the month” again. I can put my clock to it (I’m lucky, I know!)! A few of my friends own a FitBit Versa as well and have used FHT and they tell me it works for them. I just don’t have any personal experience to share so I can’t say much more than that I’m afraid!

A few random snaps to close off this post. The first one is from the view while descending after the second climb. On the second photo you can see the two mine terrils in the background and me, blissfully unaware of the steep climb that was waiting for me! After we had come down we decided to loop around the lake via a different route. We usually head straight back to the entrance gate, but this time wanted to see the construction site of the new Terrils Resort that is currently being build. It was quite the long walk! Fortuntely, the route took us past a side of the central lake that I had not seen before and there was this strange little wall that made for a good photo opp with the lake.

Right next to Connecterra you find Maasmechelen Village (5 minutes walking! Really!). It’s an outlet shopping center that currently has consignments of Furla, Michael Kors, River Woods and Ralph Lauren a.o.. I bought my Furla Julia bag there and we also have gotten a set of pans from Demeyere for outlet prices! My boyfriend – who hates shopping and was really exhausted from our hike – was still sweet enough to let me stop by my favorite stores before driving ho… I mean… driving through McDonalds and then driving home. There are a few nicer diner options inside the outlet village too, but sometimes all you need is a Big Mac and McFlurry to end the day. Well deserved after such a long hike too, I’d say!