Top 20 Natural Monuments around Mechelen

The Kesselse Heide is a provincial green space covering 79 hectares, 61 of which are open to the public. The initial acquisition took place in 1978, and it has been expanded since then. The entrance is located in Nijlen, at Vaerestraat 4. The space is freely accessible daily from sunrise to sunset. There are two ponds in the area. These old wells not only provide a pleasant change of scenery but are also a boon for the many plants and animals. Since 1996, the Kesselse Heide has been a protected landscape. It is one of the few remaining remnants of the once vast Kempen heathlands. The heath is a living community created in our region by humans. Historical agricultural practices created a landscape that has been preserved through human intervention: grazing by sheep, burning the heath, and sod cutting. Sod cutting is the removal of the topsoil and vegetation. A dug-out sod of plants and their roots is a sod. If heathland is left untreated, it will evolve into oak and birch forests, and the typical species associated with a heathland habitat will disappear. In the mid-19th century, the Kesselse Heide—like many other parts of the Kempen region—was afforested with Scots pine, a valuable timber for mining. However, during both World Wars, these sod-covered forests were felled, and from then on, the heathland was able to expand again. Current management consists of removing trees and mechanically cutting sods to give the open heathland every chance to thrive. https://youtu.be/NoPf0HSeFz8

The Kesselse Heide-Het Goor area consists of a variety of nutrient-poor meadows, pastures, marshes, and ponds, bordered and crisscrossed by enclosed landscape types, and contains numerous landscape elements. The area is characterized by a richly varied and sometimes rare flora. Several historic farm buildings can be found within the area. The Kesselse Heide-Het Goor area, with an area of approximately 2,620 hectares, is located between the villages of Nijlen and Kessel, north of the Lier-Herentals road. The northern border of this area is along Vogelzangstraat, the eastern border along Achterbist, Kannaertsstraat, and Goorstraat. The Grote Steenweg forms the southern border, and the western border is formed by Heidestraat and Vaerestraat. The landscape includes the following topographical areas: "Kannaerdsche Heyde," "Kesselse Heide," "Mol Heide," "Achterbiest," "Het Hoog Bosch," "De Hooge Heide," "Het Armveld," "De Schommers" or "Vissen Eynde," "Het Goor," "Het Goorkasteel," and "Hoge Heyde." Several streams traverse the area, specifically the Goorkantloop, the Elstbeek, the Paddenloop, Blauwe Hoekloop, and the Visbeek. The elevation within the area varies from approximately 5 meters +TAW to approximately 10 meters +TAW. Inventory of Immovable Heritage: Kesselse Heide-Het Goor, https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/302886

Simply beautiful castle and forest

If a castle can be a real castle...

A beautiful, shady walking path that follows the medieval city walls. Description: The Lier city ramparts, officially called a "city walk" but simply "De fort(en)" (The ramparts) in the city's vernacular, are a 5-kilometer-long green corridor around Lier's city center. The name "ramparts" refers to the original ramparts, the second city wall. Together with the City Park, the ramparts form the green lung of the city center. Source: Wikipedia

Another castle that can be called a castle...

It is good to know where the center is in Flanders. Well, this is not the political center of Flanders, but the geographical center.

The geographical centre of Flanders was determined by students of the Faculty of Applied Sciences of the University of Leuven. Using GPS measurements and with the help of mathematics teacher Prof. Theo Van der Waeteren, the centre was determined in 1999: it is located in the far corner of East Flanders, a few dozen metres from the previously determined "three-province point" (East Flanders, Antwerp and Flemish Brabant). Just a few metres from the territory of Sint-Amands, it is just in Opdorp, a sub-municipality of Buggenhout. The coordinates are: 51° 2′ 16″ N, 4° 14′ 26″ E. A monument was placed at this point in 2003.