ヘルスタッペの天然記念物・トップ20

With luck, spot a deer?!

With luck, spot a deer?!

The marl caves of Heers are an important hibernation site for numerous bats, including the Bechstein's bat, the Notched Bat, and the Pond Bat. Bat-friendly barriers were installed at the entrances to the caves. In 2014, the Waterkuil was closed off with a steel gate, in which bat silhouettes serve as flight openings. This elegant barrier was designed by Heers artist Frans Vandueren. Initial winter counts already showed that the gate is having an effect.

Great to rest here for a while. and enjoy the landscape. Recommended.

Beautiful in every season and a welcome respite when the slopes and path are wet and slippery - and you can literally sit here alone for hours. Next to the bench an information board about the rare dormouse that lives here in the hedges and wood edges and the little owl that lives in hollow trees or special nest boxes, just like me the nearby nature reserve Waerdeveld on the other side of the Tongersesteenweg where you find similar slopes as here but many times larger and more extensive and with a greater chance of seeing deer and holes of little owls.

Thanks to various valuable vegetation, hikers will definitely find something to their liking in this nature reserve. But this stream valley is also the perfect place for bird watching. Moreover, from the lookout tower you have a view over a beautiful part of the Herkwinning area. The cross-pollination between natural development and good nature management ensures that this is a diverse and valuable piece of greenery.

Pit stop two... it's so beautiful here. Around the fruit trees in the meadow, the tall grass dotted with blooming wild flowers and a beautiful view.

It is a bit of a mystical place there in Vechmaal. Located along a quiet walking path, you suddenly notice a deep pit, with three entrances to caves, marl caves in fact, shielded with artistic metal plates containing openings in bat profiles, designed by architect Frans Vandueren. No coincidence. Because these caves provide access to the remains of a 90 million year old sea and are particularly suitable as a hibernation site for bats, one of the most important in our region. So rest is requested. This does not mean that you cannot visit them at certain times.