Green and water gent extension lochristie

Greenery and water with extension to lochristie

GPS RECORDING OF 10/11/2021 FROM CAMPANILE HOTEL GENT

The Dam Valley is perhaps the most beautiful nature reserve around Ghent. Unfortunately, the cloverleaf of the E17 and the R4 is located in the middle of the area, but thanks to NatuurPunt, nature is in need of a revival. The Dam valley originated along an old, landed Scheldt meander. After the Flemish forests were cleared in the Middle Ages, there was no longer enough firewood and people started to mine the peat. This enriched the landscape with dozens of peat pits that still offer added value for nature today. In the 1960s, despite persistent protests, a cloverleaf of intersecting highways was constructed in the middle of the area. That was a heavy blow for nature, but since 1995 Natuurpunt has been successfully breathing new life into the area. With great success and wonderful results! The Dam Valley has been included in the Natura 2000 network of important European nature reserves and revalued as a Habitat Directive area.