De Solterheide is an area of 835 ha, which is located on the Kempens Plateau between Opitter and Neerglabbeek in the Belgian province of Limburg. It is part of the Dune Belt and therefore also part of the Hoge Kempen National Park.
The area, located between 60 and 75 m above sea level, consists mainly of coniferous forest, but there are also fields, hedgerows and chestnut avenues. On the eastern side, the area is bordered by a steep ridge, which forms the transition to the Bocholt Plain. On the north and west edges you will find the Itterbeek and the Baatsbeek. On the south-west side, the Solterheide connects with the Gruitroderbos.
The Solterheide was threatened by sand and gravel extraction, which took place here and in response to which the Nature Conservation Action Neerglabbeek (NAN) was formed in 1990. Plans for further extraction were eventually shelved.
The Solterheide described here was part of the part of Solt (Opsolt) belonging to Gruitrode. More to the east is also a much smaller area of the same name, which was part of Neersolt, which traditionally belonged to Maaseik.
Translated by Google •
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