Attractions and Places To See in Vlaams Natuurreservaat Tenhaagdoornheide - Top 6

Heathland on the sandy soils inland is an old and semi-natural landscape formed over centuries. As a type of landscape, it has been influenced by humans; the grazing managed by humans was much more intensive than the naturally occurring grazing. Under the influence of the naturally occurring grazing, a number of heathland areas would completely or partially change over into other, more complex ecosystems such as a mixture of grassland and forest. The heathland is namely a fairly simple (lower) ecosystem where, if the conditions are right, grass and trees will grow. Nowadays, intensive grazing by, for example, herds of sheep, Scottish highlanders and wild horses keeps the heathland relatively open, and grasses and trees do not have a permanent hold on the area.

Heathland or moorland is a name for vegetation that mainly consists of dwarf shrubs from the heather family. Heathland occurs in a limited number of countries. In addition to the Netherlands and Belgium, it also occurs in the coastal strip of Western Europe, Great Britain and Ireland. It is a typical vegetation that feels at home in regions with a maritime climate, with high humidity and not too warm summers and no severe winters. The natural distribution of heathland vegetation consists of decalcified parts of the dune landscape (particularly in the northern Netherlands), mountains above the tree line and the edges of raised bogs. The heathland inland is a cultural landscape that has arisen through the extraction of nutrients by grazing and the sod cutting of sandy soils. Pollen analytical research shows that heathland vegetation has always occurred inland, but the large treeless heathlands and the sand drifts were created by the intensification of sheep farming during the Middle Ages.

What do you do with a highlight that is only a highlight for a few weeks a year.... 🙄

a new boardwalk was constructed to allow people to continue with dry feet.

Less than a year after the first visit, it now has a narrow but solid boardwalk.

The paths through the Kempen heathland and sandy soils tend to be beautiful, especially with some slopes like here and for those who are very quiet with the occasional deer, hare or other critters nearby. With a bit of luck you will see the shepherd with his sheep or the sheep alone.

You are here in the valley of the Laambeek and the Huttebeek. These streams have their source area on the dry, sandy Kempen Plateau. They form important lifelines for this wet valley. Drainage ditches, dikes and sluices used to make hay land management possible in this region, where other forms of agriculture produced little results. To preserve numerous animals and plants, such as the spotted orchid and the snipe, the restoration of water management and good mowing management are very important today. The swamp forest, also called swamp forest, is created by ground, rain and stream water that cannot escape through the impermeable peat soil. Black alders dominate the somewhat gloomy appearance, but in the spring there is a beautiful play of colors here with aquatic plants. The maintenance of this forest mainly consists of small-scale felling of trees so that they can sprout again (coppice management). This creates places with trees of different ages, so that many animals and plants find their favorite spot somewhere.

The area, which covers approximately 360 hectares, contains heathland, forests and drifting sands and is managed by the Agency for Nature and Forests. Tenhaagdoornheide is located on the Kempen Plateau and its height exceeds 75 meters. The source area of the Laambeek and the Huttebeek is located here. A swampy area was formed there, while in the past the water was used to irrigate some hay fields with the help of ditches, dikes and sluices. Nowadays the spotted orchid and the snipe can also be found here.