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Natural Monuments

Oudsberg Sand Dune

Natural Monuments

Oudsberg Sand Dune

Highlight • Natural Monument

Oudsberg Sand Dune

Recommended by 343 hikers out of 346

This Highlight is in a protected area

Please check local regulations for: Vlaams Natuurreservaat Oudsberg

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Location: Meeuwen-Gruitrode, Maaseik, South Limburg, Flanders, Belgium

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Best Hikes to Oudsberg Sand Dune

4.8

(104)

663

hikers

1. Oudsberg Sand Dune – Heathland on the Oudsberg Dune loop from Gruitrode

10.1km

02:36

50m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

4.7

(98)

578

hikers

2. Oudsberg Dune – Oudsberg Sand Dune loop from Opoeteren

8.05km

02:06

50m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

4.9

(33)

288

hikers

3. Our Lady at the tree – Oudsberg Sand Dune loop from Opoeteren

8.34km

02:10

50m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

Tips

VISITFLANDERS

September 27, 2021

Now you are in the middle of the dune belt: 3,000 hectares of pure gold! An overwhelming mix of untouched forests, colorful heaths, beautiful moors, fields and meadows.

In the dune belt you will find rich fauna and flora with enormous biological diversity. The area is home to some rare species: birds such as the red-backed shrike or the nightjar, insects such as the brook damsel, the wood cricket or the red wood ant. You can also spot amphibians like the Finnish salamander or even snakes like the smooth snake. Birds of prey such as buzzards, hawks and meadow harriers also make their home here.

Translated by Google •

Dominiek Van Dooren

October 12, 2023

The pearl of the Dune Belt is the Oudsberg: the highest and largest open drift dune in Flanders. It rises 85 m above sea level. The Oudsberg is surrounded by beautiful heathlands, stately forests and butterfly-rich heathland grasslands. Since 1998 it has been recognized as a Flemish nature reserve.
(duinenbanden.be)

Translated by Google •

February 11, 2024

The Oudsberg nature reserve belongs to a dune belt that used to stretch from Hechtel to Maaseik. 15,000 years ago, after the last ice ages, the Kempen Plateau experienced enormous sand drifts. Deep, empty depressions formed, in which fens arose. High sand deposits rose above the landscape like dune ridges. As the climate warmed, birch and oak forests developed.
In the Middle Ages, the soil southwest of De Oudsberg became impoverished due to intensive extraction. As a result, only heather could survive. Local overgrazing of sheep again caused sand drift, which shaped the current dune landscape. More at natuurenbos.be/natuurgebied/oudsberg

Translated by Google •

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Informations

Elevation 120 m

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Sunday 9 November

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Max wind speed: 11.0 km/h

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Location: Meeuwen-Gruitrode, Maaseik, South Limburg, Flanders, Belgium

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Oudsberg Sand Dune

1. Oudsberg Sand Dune – Heathland on the Oudsberg Dune loop from Gruitrode

2. Oudsberg Dune – Oudsberg Sand Dune loop from Opoeteren

3. Our Lady at the tree – Oudsberg Sand Dune loop from Opoeteren

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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