Top 8 Natural Monuments in Meerdaalwoud

Here you already have the feeling of the Ardennes...

Source Pier Slot was no longer a source because the groundwater had been too low for a long time, but efforts have been underway for years to revalue/restorate the source. See, among others, at https://achterdoechelen.be/2023/10/14/de-pier-slot-bron-komen-eraan/ You can read everything about the history of the source and its use on the information board that was placed near the nameplate.

The last sunken road before you reach the village center of Sint-Joris-Weert (or conversely the first one if you leave there). The source of Pier Slot is also located here. If you see sandbags lying around: a flood is not coming; However, they are working on an erosion control test setup here.

On top of the dune hill that is the Tomberg you will find a - currently partly broken - bench around an ever-growing tree where you can sit under. There is an information board and you are surrounded by heathland, a piece of grassland, sandy roads and during this period a beautiful sea of ferns.

The Tomberg is the second highest place in the forest (102 m). It is not a prehistoric burial mound (or tomb) as our ancestors thought, but a natural elevation, a dune mound that millions of years ago, together with the Mommendeel mound, actually protruded above the sea at that time. It is here that the illustrious forest court sat for hundreds of years. In the Middle Ages, every free man was in principle allowed to hunt without restriction in forests, meadows and swamps. The big exception were the free forests, the private forests of the dukes. Meerdaalwoud was such a free forest and hunting rights belonged exclusively to the Duke of Arenberg. At first the forest court was itinerant and justice was administered in the various villages. Later, a special building was erected here on the Tomberg for the court hearings. Later still, a hearing was held at Heverlee castle. The punishments were not lenient, but it is thanks to that forest justice that the forest still exists today and has not been sacrificed to the needs of the farmers and citizens in the area. The forest right came to an end with the arrival of the French in 1795. You can read this - and much more - at https://www.onroerenderfgoed.be/archeologische-fietstocht-heverlee

The Tomberg is the second highest place in the forest (102 m). It is not a prehistoric burial mound (or tomb) as our ancestors thought, but a natural elevation, a dune mound that millions of years ago, together with the Mommendeel mound, actually protruded above the sea at that time. It is here that the illustrious forest court sat for hundreds of years. In the Middle Ages, every free man was in principle allowed to hunt without restriction in forests, meadows and swamps. The big exception were the free forests, the private forests of the dukes. Meerdaalwoud was such a free forest and hunting rights belonged exclusively to the Duke of Arenberg. At first the forest court was itinerant and justice was administered in the various villages. Later, a special building was erected here on the Tomberg for the court hearings. Later still, a hearing was held at Heverlee castle. The punishments were not lenient, but it is thanks to that forest justice that the forest still exists today and has not been sacrificed to the needs of the farmers and citizens in the area. The forest right came to an end with the arrival of the French in 1795. You can read this - and much more - at https://www.onroerenderfgoed.be/archeologische-fietstocht-heverlee

Around here you see what looks like some kind of valley. The deep ditch is sometimes above ground and sometimes underground. Generally accepted explanation of the phenomenon that you might not even notice if it weren't for the information board: there was once a local Roman road here. Official: "The so-called 'Tiense groove' is a rectilinear ditch that runs straight through the forest from West to East. It is a witness to a completely different era in the history of the forest. In some places it is above ground than in others places suddenly dive up to three meters deep into the ground again. One hundred years ago, archaeologists first conducted scientific research into the unique phenomenon. Some saw it as a funerary road from the Stone Ages, others as an exploitation road for iron mining, but today it is generally accepted. that we are dealing with the route of a local Roman road, a diverticulum. The Romans liked to bury their dead along the road, and the presence of 7 tumuli or Roman burial mounds along the groove also support the theory groeb, Tiense groove or Oude Tiensche weg give us a hint that this road was the connection with the Roman vicus of Tienen. Outside the forest the road was integrated into later paths and streets, but in the forest it fell out of use. We don't know exactly when, but it is certainly not marked on any historical map. Finds of ceramics, roof tiles and building materials also suggest the presence of a Roman farm, a so-called villa rustica, along the road. The fields belonging to this villa stretched across the southeast side of the forest. Archaeological and soil science research has shown that the forest was intensively used as an agricultural area in Roman times." And you can read that at https://www.onroerenderfgoed.be/archeologische-fietstocht-heverlee The Tiense Groef is also where the play bridge with nets is located. Ideal for playing the Gaul.

The bench is partly broken, the gazebo is a bit outdated, but it remains wonderful under that tree with a view of heather and ferns. Especially at this time of year, this is a wonderful place for those who love quiet places full of ferns that strive to become the largest and have the most beautiful shades of green. Some of the small paths at the base of the hill are near small stretches of water with life. Those seeking peace and quiet come here outside busier periods to enjoy a jungle of ferns in a wonderful open space. The views from the paths below to the ferns on the hillsides demand beautiful photos.