3-Star Silence Area
Silent areas are becoming increasingly scarce in Flanders and the Netherlands. Space for silence is threatened by a very dense road network, intensive air traffic, less favourable spatial planning, noisy recreation and industrialization. This makes it all the more important to preserve the peace and quiet in our Grenspark!
Grenspark Kalmthoutse Heide is officially a ‘Silence Area’. The Province of Noord-Brabant (2010) on the Dutch side and the Province of Antwerp on the Flemish side (2015) carried out extensive noise measurements to establish this. The Border Park is now officially a cross-border area of silence; an achievement to be proud of.
Measurements
Noise measurements were carried out in all seasons and during the day, night and weekend. The ‘own’ sounds of the area were taken into account, such as nature sounds, sounds of walkers and cyclists, and sounds of tractors. The measurements revealed there are no or hardly any sounds coming from outside the area, which makes the area very pleasant from an acoustic point of view.
The analysis also showed that the heathland scores three stars at various levels of silence. The park can therefore officially call itself a three star Silence Area. In concrete terms, this means that:
- On average, the noise level is limited to 35 dB(A),
- Sounds from outside the area are heard in less than 20% of the time,
- Within a maximum of 15 minutes, only five sounds from outside the area can be heard.
In search of silence, peace and space
Silence is important in today’s hectic society. Moments of relaxation are rare, and therefore all the more important for our well-being. The quality of life strongly depends on parameters such as silence, peace and space. In combination with nature, a visit to the silent Grenspark has a beneficial effect on visitors.
International Day of Silence
Every year, the park organizes an activity to celebrate silence. This takes place on the International Day of Silence, in the last weekend of October. Many volunteers help us organize this event.
