Interview with Ines Van Limbergen (Regionaal Landschap de Voorkempen)

What exactly does Regional Landscape the Voorkempen do?
Building tomorrow's landscape together, that's what we are all about. The Regional Landscape helps residents and partners to work together on the landscape story of the Voorkempen. Working around the preservation and strengthening of nature, heritage & regional identity, climate, support and perception. We are a partnership between governments and users of open space (nature, agriculture, heritage, tourism organisations, hunting and private landowners).

We have a broad view of the region from our terrain knowledge. We provide tailor-made activities based on local opportunities to bring people closer to local nature, landscape and heritage.

Cooperation, consultation and expertise are the positive forces with which we strengthen nature, landscape and heritage. Thanks to our non-profit structure, we achieve results quickly and efficiently with substantive and financial input from owners and partners as amplifiers. From idea, support and consultation to the 'shovel in the ground': that is what we go for.

What valuable heritage elements can you find in our region?
Located between the city of Antwerp and Kempen, the region occupies a unique place. Geographically, there are the typical characteristics of the Kempen with its sandy soils with a transition zone to the clay soils of the polders. The fascinating field of tension between that rural life and urban dynamics has characterised the region for centuries and is reflected in remarkable landscapes. Close to the city there is a wooded zone with park and castle estates, residential parks with typical wooded heritage and military heritage. Further away from the city there is a more open landscape with agricultural areas and vast heathlands, brook valleys and the striking steep edge between Maas and Scheldt basins.

How can visitors experience heritage?
A range of walking and cycling routes introduces you to the region's past. Just think of the peat box with a range of cross-border walking and cycling routes and peat experience points. You can also discover military heritage in the Mastenbos via the trench trail. You can visit the Ertbrand Fortress under supervision of the nature point and follow a mapped-out walk around the fortress. Many castle parks are owned or managed by a municipality or Agency for Nature and Forest and can be visited. Just think of the park of Brasschaat, Ravenhof, ... Via the walking and cycling map '(h)oogverblindend landschap' of the Noordertuin of Antwerp and Regional Landscape the Voorkempen you learn to read the landscape. There are a lot of experienced guides trained in the region who are happy to take you around the area, if you prefer to go out yourself with extra explanation there is always the heritage app. Finally, a visit to the Karrenmuseum in Essen is also highly recommended. This is just a few of the many partners in the region who help open up the region's heritage.

What could a National Park mean for the Voorkempen region?
For me, a National Park is the top nature in Flanders, but it remains part of the bigger picture, the region in which a lot of inhabitants, actors and partners are active on a daily basis to live, work and recreate. In this case, the regional landscape of the Voorkempen.

I hope that the label of a National Park can generate an extra incentive to put the region much more strongly on the map as one robust entity. This in terms of nature, heritage, tourism and recreation, employment, ...

What is important here is that this is done at the measure and pace of the region. I believe in consultation and trust to continue building the landscape of the Voorkempen from the bottom up with partners and owners, with the National Park as the icing on the cake.

You can find more information about Regionaal Landschap de Voorkempen at www.rldevoorkempen.be.

Do you have questions about the candidacy of Grenspark Kalmthoutse Heide to become a National Park? Or ideas/suggestions on opportunities and collaborations for the master plan? We would love to hear it! Send an e-mail to grenspark.

Or go to www.grensparkkalmthoutseheide.com/en/kandidaat_nationaal_park for more information, frequently asked questions and answers.