Hoge Kempen National Park
Encyclopedia
The Hoge Kempen National Park (Nationaal Park Hoge Kempen) is the first National Park
in the Flemish Region
in Belgium
. It is located in the East of the Province of Limburg
, between Genk
and the Meuse
Valley.
It was opened in March 2006. Covering almost 60 square kilometres, it forms part of the Natura 2000
network. The area is mostly heathland and pine forest.
In May 2011 it was placed on UNESCO's Tentative List for consideration as a World Heritage Site.
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
in the Flemish Region
Flemish Region
The Flemish Region is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium—alongside the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region. Colloquially, it is usually simply referred to as Flanders, of which it is the institutional iteration within the context of the Belgian political system...
in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. It is located in the East of the Province of Limburg
Limburg (Belgium)
Limburg is the easternmost province of modern Flanders, which is one of the three main political and cultural sub-divisions of modern Belgium. It is located west of the river Meuse . It borders on the Dutch provinces of North Brabant and Limburg and the Belgian provinces of Liège, Flemish Brabant...
, between Genk
Genk
Genk is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg near Hasselt. The municipality only comprises the city of Genk itself...
and the Meuse
Meuse River
The Maas or Meuse is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea...
Valley.
It was opened in March 2006. Covering almost 60 square kilometres, it forms part of the Natura 2000
Natura 2000
Natura 2000 is an ecological network of protected areas in the territory of the European Union.-Origins:In May 1992, the governments of the European Communities adopted legislation designed to protect the most seriously threatened habitats and species across Europe. This legislation is called the...
network. The area is mostly heathland and pine forest.
In May 2011 it was placed on UNESCO's Tentative List for consideration as a World Heritage Site.