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Belgium

Flanders

East Flanders

Gent

Destelbergen

The Zandberg River Dune

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Places to see

Natural Monuments

Belgium

Flanders

East Flanders

Gent

Destelbergen

The Zandberg River Dune

16 people recommended this place

Recommended by 16 hikers out of 17

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Location: Destelbergen, Gent, East Flanders, Flanders, Belgium

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Tips

Katrien

May 29, 2021

Dunes are reminiscent of the sea, but there are also dunes that owe their origin to the changing course of rivers. Most river dunes were formed at the end of the last ice age – about 15,000 years ago. Rivers then underwent major seasonal fluctuations. River beds could largely dry up during the summer, allowing the sand in the bed to be blown up and moved. Right next to the river there was already enough vegetation to hold the sand. This is how river dunes arose next to the banks.

These dune massifs have always exerted a great attraction on humans. They have traditionally been a preferred residential area. This is also the case in Destelbergen and Heusden. Archaeological finds from the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Roman times point to this.

While the old river dunes in Destelbergen were excavated long ago, the dunes of Heusden remained. They even remained untouched until a century ago. However, the building frenzy of recent decades has meant that today only two dunes remain open to the public: the Zandberg (corner Zandberg-Melkwegel) and the Kollebloem (Leenstraat).

These dunes are silent witnesses of the landscape during the last ice age and of the influence of the river then.

Source: erfgoedviersprong.be

Translated by Google •

DirkWi

September 16, 2024

According to Wikipedia, this nature reserve, De Zandberg, is the only remnant of river dunes in East Flanders.

I don't think that's entirely correct, because there is also a remnant of a river dune in the Kalkense Meersen.

But De Zandberg is very interesting from a geological perspective.

The 1.5 ha area varies in height between 7 and 13 meters above sea level. The dune is located along the Scheldt and was formed in phases during the climate improvement at the end of the last Ice Age, approximately 15,000-14,000 years ago.

Until it was protected in 1994, the area was heavily used. Remains from the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods were found, as well as a 16th-century coin hoard. Much was built in the area, which made the relatively undisturbed area very small.

Nevertheless: definitely worth walking through. After all, it is and remains a landscape form that you would not expect in these regions.

Translated by Google •

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Elevation 50 m

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Saturday 4 October

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70 %

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Max wind speed: 31.0 km/h

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Location: Destelbergen, Gent, East Flanders, Flanders, Belgium

The Zandberg River Dune

1. Peace Monument – Bergenkruis Chapel loop from Gent-Dampoort

2. Damvallei Nature Reserve – Damvallei Lake loop from Westveld

3. Gentbrugse Bergen Viewpoint – Sloversdreef loop from Gentbrugge

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