The Nieuwenhoven Provincial Domain - the largest public forest in Haspengouw (161 ha) located on the N722 Hasselt - Sint-Truiden - has a rich history. In the 10th century, the abbey of Sint-Truiden received the forest of Nieuwenhoven as a gift. The monks cleared the forest and built a castle with a farm. After the French Revolution, the domain came into private hands. In the 19th century, the landscape was given the structure of an English landscape garden. A historically important structure that it still has today. When the domain threatened to be shredded for development in the 1970s, the province of Limburg bought the wooded part. She set up approximately 80 hectares for public use, with a double function: nature conservation and passive recreation. Over the years, the province of Limburg expanded its property to 164 ha. The grounds are partly wooded, partly open. The open areas bring variety to the whole. They increase the appeal of the domain and enhance the natural value. The exhibition in the visitor center clarifies the different aspects of the region's forest. Close to the visitor center are an educational pond, a small-scale water treatment plant, a bee hall, a dog meadow and an educational standard orchard.