In this wonderful forest, wonder and experience are central. The Wonder Forest, located on the territory of the City of Ghent (Oostakker) and the municipality of Lochristi, offers something for every visitor! The playful birds can look for play elements that make a visit to the Wonder Forest adventurous, a surprising lookout tower offers a view of the entire area, the 3 towers of Ghent and the harbor! You will also find a pond with jetties and a swamp play zone, a sand theater, 3 walking loops and surprising sand paths that criss-cross the area. You can also cycle here or simply enjoy the wonderful nature.
Fauna and flora
The landscape in the Wonder Forest is very varied. You will find flowery roughs, grasslands, water features and a deciduous and swamp forest. These are all special biotopes for plants and animals that have a hard time elsewhere, such as the sand martin, bluethroat and kingfisher. The grebe, viviparous lizard, freshwater mussel, bitterling, brown sand eye and oak page also feel at home here. Other summer bitterling, blue bedstraw, stinking horehound, silkcombe and centaury provide the Wonderwoud with a beautiful colour palette.
A green pool in development
The green pool Wonderwoud is still in full development and we are realising it in phases. It will be approximately 200 hectares (= 400 football fields) in total. The north-eastern and south-western arm of the Old Airport were set up together with the former military domain with execution ground. Good for 35.6 hectares of accessible area. After the sand extraction pit in the eastern part of the Old Airport has been filled in, the green pool will be further developed. For safety reasons, the remaining part of the green pool is not yet accessible.
The Wonderwoud is one of the five green pools of Ghent. In addition, there is also the Parkbos, the Gentbrugse Meersen, the Vinderhoutse Bossen and the Bourgoyen-Ossemeersen-Blaarmeersen-Sneppemeersen area. These extensive park and nature areas provide Ghent and its neighbouring municipalities with sufficient accessible greenery and space for nature and lots of forest.
After the Groenpool Gentbrugse Meersen (240 ha), Groenpool Parkbos Kastelensite (1200 ha), Groenpool Vinderhoutse Bossen (640 ha), Groenpool Bourgoyen-Ossemeersen, Park Halfweg, Blaarmeersen and Sneppemeersen, the fifth green pool to be developed in the Ghent periphery. Green pools are extensive park and nature areas that provide the city of Ghent and the Ghent region with sufficient accessible green and open space. The Wonderwoud will be approximately 200 hectares in size. That is 250 football fields together. Although the domain is already (partly) accessible, the official opening is not scheduled until 27 April 2025.
The Wonderwoud is a nature reserve of 35 hectares in the northeast of Ghent. It is partly located in Oostakker and partly in Lochristi, about 7 kilometers from the city center. You will find there, among other things, a pond, a recreation area and a water play area. The green pool is only partially accessible, so that nature can continue to develop in peace.
Translated by Google •
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