할렌‬에서 가장 멋진 ‪20‬개의 천연기념물

Very relaxing, beautiful well-maintained paths.

Those who like a bit of relief will find plenty to enjoy on this easternmost Diestian hill. The Galgenberg takes its name from the location of the gallows that were used to hang criminals. The forests are freely accessible to hikers, but are not open to cyclists or mountain bikers due to their sensitivity to erosion.

The bridge connects the forests of Hees with Lobos castle and Loboshoeve.

Near Meldert and Zelem, on the border of Kempen and Hageland, the stream squeezes between several "Diestiaan ridges". The valley here is relatively narrow and the rapid transition from very wet swampy areas to very dry ridges make this area very valuable landscape and ecologically. In the "Schurfert" area in Meldert/Linkhout, the creation of ponds and marshes in the valley area has once again created an ideal biotope for meadow birds. Curlew, stonechat and snipe are increasingly frequenting this area. The "Marais de Zeelhem", currently known as "de Leunen", was also the favorite excursion site for botanists 100 years ago and even today it still houses characteristic flora, such as snake root, water hemlock, gale and many sedge species. On older maps the stream here was also known as "De Zwarte Laak" (De Swerte Laeck).

Just realizing that 1000 years is quite a long time....

Since 1974, the province of (Flemish) Brabant has owned the 120 hectare Vinne. In 2000 it was decided to transform the area into a lake again. Work started in 2004; the poplars were cleared and the groundwater level rose because drainage was largely stopped. The entire area is ideal for migratory birds. Immovable Heritage Inventory 2024: Het Vinne, https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/300182

There are two theories for the formation of the great depression that is Vinne. According to the first theory, which was accepted until the 1960s, the formation must be located at the end of the last ice age. Initially, a side valley of the latter lay at the location of the current outlet of the Vinne to the (Kleine) Gete. The predecessors of the current Vinnebeek and the Sint-Odulphusbeek flowed into this small side valley. The Gete Valley was lower then than it is now. Due to the erosion of the Landenian sand, the depression of the Vinne was gradually formed. Afterwards, the valleys of central Belgium filled up with a thick layer of peat. This also gradually prevented the outflow of water from the Vinnedepression. During high tide, the water of the Kleine Gete could now flow into the depression. The sediment carried by this current was deposited where the current was slowed down by the stagnant Vinne water. In this way, a fan-shaped elevation was created at the location where the Vinnehoeve was later built. According to the second theory (Mullenders et al., 1969), the depression would be a periglacial phenomenon, more specifically a pingo. At this location the groundwater came close to the ground surface where it could freeze. This mass of ice expanded and pushed the ground upward. Due to the growth of this ice lens, the resulting hill grew and in warmer times the superficial material was washed away with melt water so that the relief was strengthened. When a definitive improvement in the climate occurred, the ice dome could melt away and deposit erosion material laterally. This created a depression in situ with high walls of erosion material all around. However, the large dimensions of this depression are difficult to reconcile with this history. Immovable Heritage Inventory 2024: Het Vinne, https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/300182

The Vinne is a natural depression, almost completely enclosed by slopes. Only in one place in the west has the slope been broken and the Vinnedepression is connected to the Gete valley via a narrow outlet. At its widest point the Vinne is 1600 m, at its narrowest point 900 m. Immovable Heritage Inventory 2024: Het Vinne, https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/300182