The Regte Heide is a heathland area of Brabants Landschap measuring 250 hectares in the municipality of Goirle. It is located south of Tilburg in the province of Noord-Brabant on the border with Belgium. Together with other areas, it forms a contiguous nature reserve of 876 hectares consisting of heathland, marshy stream valleys and deciduous and coniferous forests.
On the Regte Heide, seven clearly visible burial mounds from the Middle Bronze Age (2000-700 BC) can be found. Excavations were carried out here in 1935, during which grave gifts were found such as battle axes, wrist guards, stone daggers, buttons and beads. Restoration of the mounds took place in 1998 and 1999. Five of them were provided with a wreath of poles.
In 1909, the Regte Heide was purchased by the municipality of Tilburg, which rented it out to the Ministry of War the following year for holding military exercises. Until the 1990s, the area was used for this purpose. In recent years, it has mainly been used as a landing site for practicing parachutists.[1] In 1990, the area was purchased by the Het Brabants Landschap foundation.
The fairly hilly heathland has both high and dry spots with views and wet spots. Part of the reserve is the stream valley of the Oude Leij, the Riels Laag, which borders the heathland for a large length and forms beautiful transitions. The difference in height can be up to 5 meters.
Sundew, marsh gentian, marsh clubmoss and bog asphodel grow in wet spots. 28 species of butterflies have been counted. Important butterfly species are the common blue, the gentian blue, the green butterfly and the speckled skipper. Breeding birds include the curlew, the redstart and the skylark. The shrike overwinters there.
In 2009 and 2010, captive-bred black grouse were released on the heath. Due to lack of success, many birds died a few weeks after being released, the reintroduction project was terminated by Brabants Landschap in 2011