North Kasterlee
The river Aa in the north of the borough of Tielen and the rivers Rode Loop and Kaliebeek in Kasterlee en Lichtaart run through farmland, marshes, pools and ponds.
Rode Loop was an important route of transport for a long time, even though most of the valley, particularly the area around Tikkebroeken, is subjected to floods after heavy rainfall.
Tikkenbroeken is a protected low fen reserve. It has a limited surface area, but is home to an enormous variety of biotopes.
Along the Kaliebeek stream lies an extensive fen and swamp area with water pools resulting from peat cutting.
The main part contains the Tielense Balderij and Rielens Gebroekt and boasts magnificent ponds and old marshland, which was dug out for fishing. Unpaved roads run through the area. In winter and on rainy days it can be pretty soggy.
Central Kasterlee
Kasterlee’s soil consists of porous sand and loam with ferriferous layers. Approx. 10,000 years ago large sections of ice completely covered the Kempen area. During the last ice age, the Wurm glacial stage, the cotidal line of the Poederleezee stretched all the way to the region.
The tides and sedimentation caused wind-borne sand ridges, which resulted in Kempense Heuvelrug, a long dune ridge that almost crosses the entire Antwerp North Kempen area and is up to 40 m high in certain places.
One such place is Hoge Mouw in the middle of the provincial domain Hoge Mouw, although years of intensive recreation reduced the dune to 35 m high. Next to the provincial domain, we find the Kasterlee woods, also called Kastelse Bossen. These woods used to be part of the hunting grounds used by the dukes of Brabant.
At the southern edge of Kempense Heuvelrug we see narrow passes, trenches caused by erosion from the resistance of ferriferous layers against the force of the rainwater coming down the dune ridge.
North of the dune ridge, in the area of Witte Bergen and at the border with Herentals, a parabolic dune formed a drainage pool, which was deepened further through peat cutting. Zwart Water (‘zwart’ coming from ‘zwet’, meaning border) is a listed nature reserve.
South Kasterlee
South of Kempense Heuvelrug, the Valley of the Kleine Nete river dominates the landscape. Thanks to its water quality and natural structure, Kleine Nete is one of the cleanest rivers in Belgium.
The river was canalised from 1839, which ensured that the winding river became an ideal waterway. Canalisation isolated several river branches, flooding areas and meanders, which developed their own biotopes.
A combination of lightly farmed fields and flowery countryside make up this agricultural valley.