Vennen, heiden en moerassen rond Turnhout

dopheide

Enjoy the peace and quiet and experience nature in every season. Wander across purple heaths, discover the play forest with the whole family, take a trip to the lookout tower, spot birds on the viewing platform or look for our herds of Konik horses and Shetland ponies. Then enjoy a fresh Gageleer, tasty coffee or organic juice on the terrace of the visitor center. Nowhere else can you experience Kempen's assets better than in Landschap De Liereman, the area we focus upon here.

Landscape De Liereman is one of the oldest nature reserves in Belgium. The forests, heathland, grasslands, drifting dunes and fens make it a unique nature reserve in Europe. The Kempen biotopes have been a home for the curlew, the nightjar, the bell gentian and the natterjack toad for centuries. During your walk you may encounter sheep and wild konik horses.

The De Liereman landscape also stands out as a valuable heritage location. Flint objects have been discovered in the area that date back to hunters who used the dune belt of Landschap De Liereman as a camp site about 12,000 years ago. During the Second World War, the dune belt served as a training area for the German army, traces of which such as trenches and positions in a herringbone pattern are still visible in the landscape.

The most famous plant in Landschap De Liereman is undoubtedly the wild gale. From the end of March to mid-April, the catkins of the male gale plants color the landscape orange-brown and spread their pleasant scent. You can also hear from the yodelling song of the curlew that spring is in the country. In the summer you can enjoy the shrub and heather in bloom (photo) and you can admire a lot of insects, such as the silver-studded blue.

Thanks to the LIFE project, there are again 20 pairs of nightjars in the area. Natterjack toads and moor frogs find a home in the restored fens. Thanks to the diversity of animals and plants, Landschap De Liereman is an indispensable destination for nature lovers.

Click here for more information about Landschap de Liereman in the 'Vennen, heiden en moerassen rond Turnhout' area!
Click here to go to the Bioblitz page of this Natura 2000 area.
Click here to install Obsidentify.

 

Photo: Reinhardt Strubbe (ANB)