About the nature border park
Almost 15,000 acres of The Great Outdoors
Around 1900 the area that we now call De Groote Heide was a vast and continuous stretch of heathland, ranging from the southern city edge of Eindhoven to well across the Belgian border, a distance of no less than 20 kilometres! Since then, large parts have been cultivated and replaced by forest, meadows, fields and buildings. This has made the area more diverse and scenically attractive. Nature conservationists in both Belgium and the Netherlands are currently working to restore some of the area's former heathland glory.
If you plan your routes carefully enough, it is still possible to experience De Groote Heide as one continuous area of natural beauty. Far more so than in the past, visitors will encounter varied, attractive and valuable gems of nature.
De Groote Heide is actually a forgotten name for this immense cross-border nature reserve. Throughout the area there are still some smaller heathlands called the "Groote (or Grote) Heide", but there used to be only one. Back in the day De Groote Heide extended from Hamont-Achel en Pelt (above Hasselt) in Belgium to Eindhoven in the Netherlands.
The areas of De Groote Heide nature border park
Beverbeekse Heide
© De Groote HeideBeverbeekse Heide
Beverbeekse Heide
Grensdijk
3930 Hamont-Achel
Natuurpunt Buitenheide Drie Bogen
© Hugo WillocxBuitenheide - Drie Bogen
Buitenheide - Drie Bogen
De Vork
3930 Hamont-Achel
De Braakhuizensche heide
© Brabants LandschapDe Braakhuizensche heide
De Braakhuizensche heide (geen faciliteit)
Strabrechtseheideweg 1
5591 TZ Heeze
Genneper Parken
© De Groote HeideGenneper Parken
Genneper Parken
Boutenslaan 161 B
5644 TV Eindhoven
Haarterheide (grafheuvels)
© Marijn Heuts_De Groote HeideHaarterheide
Haarterheide
Haarterheide
3930 Hamont-Achel
Herbertusbossen
© Marijn Heuts_De Groote HeideHerbertusbossen
Herbertusbossen
Herbertusbossen
Heeze
Klankenbos
© De Groote HeideKlankenbos
Provinciaal Domein Dommelhof
Toekomstlaan 5
3910 Pelt
Startpunt wandeling De Pan
© De Groote HeideLandgoed De Pan
Panweg 46
6026 RJ MAARHEEZE
Leenderbos
© Janneke de GrootLeenderbos/ Groote Heide
Leenderbos
Strijperpad 3
Leende
Leenderheide
© Marc RasLeenderheide/ Groote Heide
Leenderheide (Hut van Mie Pils)
Leenderweg 1
5583 TC Waalre
Plateaux_Hageven
© Marijn Heuts_De Groote HeidePlateaux-Hageven
Plateaux-Hageven (Bezoekerscentrum Hageven)
Tussenstraat 10
3910 Neerpelt
Soerendonks Goor
© Mieke MuldeSoerendonks Goor
Soerendonks goor
Goorstraat
Soerendonk
The rich history of De Groote Heide is palpable
The area is so vast, it simply can't be captured in just one image...
Click the map to get the full overview!
