Kemmelberg provincial domain expands by almost 30 ha

The expansion has a total area of ​​29.2 hectares and consists of very valuable forest on and on the Kemmelberg (including Voorbos, Burgkouter and l’Enfer) and the historic park domain in Kemmel with the chalet of the Geelhand de Merxem family, located on the foot of the Kemmelberg. The municipality of Heuvelland will lease the building ‘de Chalet’ and give it a new purpose.

This purchase should further strengthen the provincial domain in terms of nature and recreation, including an extension of the Kemmelberg hiking trail towards Kemmel, which is currently already the most popular hiking trail in West Flanders. The provincial domain thus expands from 161 to 190 hectares. (read further below the map)

Park

The park domain must become a publicly accessible park in the future. The historical link with the Warande Park is hereby restored. After the destruction during World War I, there was a split into a northern (now park domain Geelhand) and southern (now Warande) domain, connected by the Kasteeldreef. De Warande has been accessible as a provincial domain since 1969. With this purchase, the park domain north of Kemmel is added.

The provincial council still has to approve this purchase. The provincial government provides 2.5 million euros for the purchase and furnishing of the new plots.