Hoge Kempen National Park

Last updated
Hoge Kempen National Park
Mechelse Hei 050806.JPG
Heathland in the Hoge Kempen (Mechelse Heide)
Belgium relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Location of Hoge Kempen National Park
Location Limburg, Flemish Region, Belgium
Nearest city Genk
Coordinates 51°00′N5°40′E / 51.000°N 5.667°E / 51.000; 5.667
Area67 km2 (to be expanded to 110 km2)
Established2006
Visitors700,000(in 2010)
Governing bodyAgentschap voor Natuur en Bos

Hoge Kempen National Park (Nationaal Park Hoge Kempen) is the first National Park in Flanders, Belgium. It is located in the Campine in the East of the Province of Limburg, between Genk and the river Meuse (Dutch: Maas) Valley. It includes the elevated ground that defines the watershed between that river and the low ground of the drainage basin of the river Demer that covers most of Belgian Limburg.

Contents

History

It was opened on Sunday 29 March 2006. [1] Covering 67 square kilometres, it forms part of the Natura 2000 network. [2] The area is mostly heathland and pine forest. It was first established in 1990 within the Regionaal Landschap Kempen en Maasland as part of a progressive policy to advance nature reserves in Flanders.

In May 2011 it was placed on UNESCO's Tentative List for consideration as a World Heritage site. On 23 March 2012, the nine municipal councils, the Province of Limburg and the Flemish government signed a letter of intent to support the application of the Hoge Kempen National Park for recognition as UNESCO World Heritage.

The national park has revealed plans to expand its territory to more than 100 square kilometres.

In the 1990s, the park was the place of origin of the now-widespread numbered-node cycle network. [3] [4] Designer Hugo Bollen wanted something short; he felt it was important that the signage not contain too much information. [5] RLKM estimates that the network brings 16.5 million euros of revenue to Kempen in Maasland annually. [6]

Geography

Map of Hoge Kempen National Park Nationaalparkhogekempen.jpg
Map of Hoge Kempen National Park

The park is in the province of Limburg, covering territory in the municipalities of As, Dilsen-Stokkem, Genk, Lanaken, Maasmechelen and Zutendaal. As well as extensive woodlands, it includes existing protected natural areas such as the Mechelse Heide, Zipebeek Valley (de Vallei van de Ziepbeek), Bog under the Mountain (het Ven onder de Berg) and the Neerharer Heide.

The Hoge Kempen (or Kempens Plateau) is a large area of scree formed from rocks that were deposited in the Ardennes by the Meuse during the last Ice Age in the south east of Limburg and covered with sand blown by sea winds. Over time a relatively deep valley was eroded by the Grensmaas. The slope of the plateau to the west of the Maas valley is steep and rises 45 metres to form a step of sorts. This step runs 20 kilometres from Opoeteren at Maaseik near Lanaken in the north to Gellik in the south. Over half of this step lies within the park and the height of land above this reaches 102 metres.

The area is crossed by several major highways that presented a challenge as to how to maintain eco-diversity across the fragmented parkland. Construction took place of the Kikbeek eco-velo-duct over the E314 near Maasmechelen and also near Zutendaal. The Toeristiche Weg built 60 years ago on the Mechelse Heide was closed to road traffic as part of the park planning. This paved road will become part of the Limburg cycling network. West of the Kikbeek eco-duct will be a eco-valley and another eco-duct over the E314. [7]

Another element to aid the recovery of the park was the restoration of the source of the Kikbeek at Opgrimbie. This resulted in the upper course of the brook being redesigned with a controllable flow that helped restore the natural water level in the area. Due to years of excavation of white sand evidenced by the many craters, the water level had fallen. Inside the boundaries of the park there are still some enclaves where there are some residences, gravel and sand quarries and industrial zones. The Government of Flanders currently owns 85% of the land in the park.

Ecology

The habitat is mostly coniferous trees and heath land. There are some deciduous trees, dunes, marshes, streams, dry valleys, ponds, gravel pits and former mine spoil heaps. Typical flora and fauna include juniper; gorse; bell heather; sweet gale; club moss; asphodel; dragonfly; silver studded blue butterfly; swallow tail butterfly; Granville fritillary butterfly  ; Moor frog; Natterjack toad; Smooth snake; Common lizard; Brook Lamprey; Black woodpecker; Red Fox; Pine marten; Nightjar and Roe deer.

Tourism

The park is open to the general public and each municipality has its own gateway to the park. These are:

There is a 200 km network of hiking trails within the national park. Some 40 loop-shaped walks were designed with a length between 3 and 14 km. The start of these hiking trails is at one of the 6 entrance gates. The cycle paths in the national park form part of the numbered-node cycle network, the Kempen and Maasland Regional Landscape part. In addition, within the national park there is a 140 km network of mostly unpaved bridleways and paths that connects the rider and heart of the Limburg Kempen. These are organized via a node system similar to the cycle node network.

Support from the European Union has meant that there are a number of Rangers on hand to help all visitors.

Awards

In April 2008, project manager Ignace Schops received the Goldman Environmental Prize (the "Green Nobel Prize") in San Francisco. [8] Schops and his RLKM project group got this prestigious award for the original way they managed to protect a large area of valuable nature in a relatively densely populated area. It recognized the concept of integrating nature, agriculture, economy and tourism. On 7 May 2008 he was honored in the European Parliament, also as an example project where public authorities and private initiatives cooperated successfully.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maastricht</span> City and municipality in Limburg, Netherlands

Maastricht is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. Maastricht is located on both sides of the Meuse, at the point where the Jeker joins it. Mount Saint Peter (Sint-Pietersberg) is largely situated within the city's municipal borders. Maastricht is adjacent to the border with Belgium and is part of the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion, an international metropolis with a population of about 3.9 million, which includes the nearby German and Belgian cities of Aachen, Liège, and Hasselt.

Gateway often refers to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Brabant</span> Province of the Netherlands

North Brabant, also unofficially called Brabant, is a province in the south of the Netherlands. It borders the provinces of South Holland and Gelderland to the north, Limburg to the east, Zeeland to the west, and the Flemish provinces of Antwerp and Limburg to the south. The northern border follows the Meuse westward to its mouth in the Hollands Diep strait, part of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. North Brabant had a population of about 2,626,000 as of January 2023. Major cities in North Brabant are Eindhoven, Tilburg, Breda, its provincial capital 's-Hertogenbosch, and Helmond

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Limburg (Belgium)</span> Province of Belgium

Limburg, also known as Belgian Limburg, is a province in Belgium. It is the easternmost of the five Dutch-speaking provinces that together form the Region of Flanders, one of the three main political and cultural sub-divisions of modern-day Belgium.

Articles related to Belgium include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">As, Belgium</span> Municipality in Flemish Community, Belgium

As is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. On January 1, 2006, As had a total population of 7,497. The total area is 22.07 km2 which gives a population density of 340 inhabitants per km2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genk</span> City and municipality in Flemish Community, Belgium

Genk is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg near Hasselt. The municipality only comprises the town of Genk itself. It is one of the most important industrial towns in Flanders, located on the Albert Canal, between Antwerp and Liège.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zonhoven</span> Municipality in Flemish Community, Belgium

Zonhoven is a municipality located in the middle of the Belgian province of Limburg located north of Hasselt and also borders Houthalen-Helechteren, Genk and Heusden-Zolder. It’s an urbanized municipality, in the edge area of Hasselt. The municipality belongs to the On January 1, 2019, Zonhoven had a total population of 21,237. The total area is 39.34 km2 which gives a population density of 506 inhabitants per km2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zutendaal</span> Municipality in Flemish Community, Belgium

Zutendaal is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. On 1 January 2017 Zutendaal had a total population of 7,269. The total area is 32.07 km2, giving a population density of 227 inhabitants per km2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lanaken</span> Municipality in Flemish Community, Belgium

Lanaken is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. On January 1, 2007, the municipality of Lanaken had a total population of 24,724. Its area is 59.00 km2 which gives a population density of 415 inhabitants per km2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maasmechelen</span> Municipality on the Meuse in Limburg, Belgium

Maasmechelen is a municipality located on the Meuse in the Belgian province of Limburg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campine</span> Natural region of NE Belgium and SE Netherlands

The Campine or De Kempen is a natural region situated chiefly in north-eastern Belgium and parts of the south-eastern Netherlands which once consisted mainly of extensive moors, tracts of sandy heath, and wetlands. It encompasses a large northern and eastern portion of Antwerp Province and adjacent parts of Limburg in Belgium, as well as portions of the Dutch province of North Brabant and Dutch Limburg around Weert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bokrijk</span> Museum complex in Belgium

The Bokrijk Provincial Domain is a park and museum complex near Genk, Province of Limburg in Belgium. It is known for its open-air museum which displays a large collection of historical buildings from across Flanders which presents the history of rural life in the region. The domain is 5.5 square kilometres (2.1 sq mi) in area and also hosts an important botanical garden (arboretum), nature reserve, and the largest open-air playground in Flanders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European route E314</span> Road in trans-European E-road network

The European route E314 is a road in Europe and a part of the United Nations International E-road network. Approximately 125 kilometers (78 mi) long, it connects the Belgian university city of Leuven with Aachen, Charlemagne's capital during the early ninth century, and today a bustling commercial centre in Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Saint Peter</span> Hill in Belgium

Mount Saint Peter, also referred to as Caestert Plateau, is the northern part of a plateau running north to south between the valleys of the river Geer to the west, and the Meuse to the east. The plateau runs from Maastricht in the Netherlands, through Riemst in Belgian Limburg almost to the city of Liège in Belgium, thus defining the topography of this border area between Flanders, Wallonia and the Netherlands. The name of the hill, as well as the nearby village and church of Sint Pieter and the fortress of Sint Pieter, refers to Saint Peter, one of the Twelve Apostles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ignace Schops</span>

Ignace Schops is a Belgian environmentalist, a biodiversity, landscaping and herpetology expert. He is Director of the Belgian NGO Regionaal Landschap Kempen en Maasland (RLKM), and was the President of the largest network on the natural heritage in Europe, EUROPARC federation, from 2014 until 2021; and a full member of the EU chapter of Club of Rome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art Museum Z33</span> Art centre in Hasselt, Belgium

Z33 is an art institution in Hasselt that connects art, design and architecture with social themes. Z33 presents itself as an art centre and not as a museum. In fact, the house initiates, produces and displays temporary exhibitions, without a permanent collection. Here, the starting point is the intersection between contemporary art and design. The artistic exhibitions that Z33 creates and presents refer to social developments and scientific phenomena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Numbered-node cycle network</span> European bicycle path intersection numbering system

The numbered-node cycle network is a wayfinding system. It spans the Netherlands, Belgium, parts of France and Germany, and parts of Croatia, and is expanding rapidly, as of 2017. Each intersection or node is given a number, and the numbers are signposted, so the cyclist always knows which way to go to get to the next node.

The manhunt for Jürgen Conings began on 18 May 2021, after the discovery that Conings, a Belgian soldier under suspicion of far-right extremism, had taken several weapons from military barracks in Leopoldsburg the previous day and farewell letters were found containing violent threats directed at the Belgian government and virologists. On 20 June 2021, Belgian media reported that a body had been found in the Dilserbos forest, which was later confirmed by the Federal Prosecutor's Office to be the body of Jürgen Conings. One day later, the Federal Prosecutor's Office confirmed that Conings died of suicide by gunshot, which was disputed by his family. A second autopsy was denied and he was cremated a few days later.

References

  1. "First National Park opened – Milestone for Belgium's Countdown 2010". countdown2010. 2006-03-23. Archived from the original on 2011-02-24. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
  2. "The National Park Hoge Kempen" (PDF). Eurosite. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-10-12. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
  3. Reymen, Nele (11 November 2017). "Hugo Bollen: Fietsroutenetwerk". Wanderful.design (in Dutch). Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  4. Wagenbuur, Mark (24 September 2019). "The Numbered Junction Network for recreational cycling". Bicycle Dutch. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  5. WITMAN, DOOR BOB (12 November 2013). "Wegwijsprijs". de Volkskrant (in Dutch).
  6. "Fietsroute-netwerk – Regionaal Landschap Kempen en Maasland". www.rlkm.be. Archived from the original on 2009-05-27. Retrieved 2021-04-20.
  7. Maasmechelen krijgt ecovallei onder E314 (Maasmechelen gets ecological valley below E314), 15 February 2012, Het Belang van Limburg
  8. The Goldmanprize for this project The 2008 Goldman Prize Winner