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The Cartierheide is a vast heathland and fenland in the Brabant Kempen region, named after the Belgian Baron De Cartier de Marchienne, who protected this landscape from exploitation in the early 20th century. Here, you can walk through a mosaic of purple heathlands, tranquil forests, and glistening fens, where silence and vastness prevail. A highlight is the boardwalk, which takes you straight through the wet heathland and offers a unique perspective on this unique landscape. In summer, the heather is in full bloom, turning the fields purple. Along the way, you can often spot birds such as the European stonechat or a buzzard. The Cartierheide is part of the cross-border Grenspark De Kempen and perfectly illustrates what nature once looked like in large parts of Brabant: rugged, open, and rich in diversity.

beautiful panoramic views over the Cartierheide and a fen

beautifully landscaped boardwalk in the Kempen nature reserve

beautifully landscaped boardwalk in the Kempen nature reserve

Today I ran into the cow farmer. It was a strange sight, suddenly a car on a very quiet path. An exception!

beautiful, large heathland - a pity that the flowering period only lasts a few weeks

Archaeological excavations in the south of the area have established that the heathland was already inhabited in the late Bronze Age, also known as the Urnfield culture. Traces of prehistoric habitation and flint artifacts were found during this excavation. Several discoveries dating back to the Iron Age have also been made throughout the area. These include a number of urnfields and indications of a settlement. During this period, the area was inhabited by the Eburones. The locations of these discoveries have since been designated as national archaeological monuments. Source and more information: Wikipedia

The Kempen (formerly called Kempenland or Toxandria) is a sandy region in northeastern Belgium and the Dutch province of North Brabant, south of the Eindhoven-Tilburg line. The name of the region is a corruption of the word Campinia or Campina, which is Latin for open plain. In the late Roman period, the region was called Toxandria. The Toxandrians are also known as Eburones in the writings of Julius Caesar. Toxandria refers to yew, which ebur in Eburones also refers to. Source and more information: Wikipedia