Ardennes, Belgium

Located in the Flemish Region of Belgium's West Flanders province, Ostend is a seaside city and municipality. It includes the largest city on the Belgian coast, Ostend proper, as well as the boroughs of Mariakerke, Raversijde, Stene, and Zandvoorde.The ideal time of year to visit Ostend mostly relies on personal weather preferences. Nonetheless, the late spring and early summer months of May through July provide a pleasant and ideal condition for exploring the flora and sceneries of this seaside city, taking rainfall and temperature into account. Ostend was a tiny settlement in the Early Middle Ages that was situated on the east end (oost-einde) of an island that was once known as Testerep and lay between a beach lake and the North Sea. Despite its modest size, the village gained "town" status in 1265 when its residents were permitted to organize a market and construct a market hall. Fishing was the main source of revenue for the locals. Because of the strength of the water, the North Sea coastline has always been particularly unstable. In 1395, the locals made the decision to construct a new Ostend farther from the constantly threatening sea and behind big dikes.

The first national park in Flanders, Belgium, is called Hoge Kempen National Park (Nationaal Park Hoge Kempen). It is situated between Genk and the Meuse (Dutch: Maas) River Valley in the Campine in the eastern part of the Province of Limburg. It comprises the low land of the river Demer's drainage basin, which encompasses the majority of Belgian Limburg, and the rising terrain that delineates the watershed between that river.On March 29, 2006, a Sunday, it opened.Part of the Natura 2000 network, it spans 67 square kilometers. The region is primarily made up of pine forests and heathlands. It was initially created in 1990 as part of a progressive plan to develop Flanders' natural reserves within the Regionaal Landschap Kempen en Maasland.On March 29, 2006, a Sunday, it opened.[1] Part of the Natura 2000 network, it spans 67 square kilometers.[2] The region is primarily made up of pine forests and heathlands. It was initially created in 1990 as part of a progressive plan to develop Flanders' natural reserves within the Regionaal Landschap Kempen en Maasland. It was added to UNESCO's Tentative List for World Heritage Site consideration in May 2011. The Province of Limburg, the Flemish government, and the nine town councils signed a letter of intent on March 23, 2012, pledging to support the Hoge Kempen National Park's bid for UNESCO World Heritage status.

The High Fens are an upland plateau region in Liège Province, between the Ardennes and the Eifel highlands, in eastern Belgium and adjacent northwest Germany. They were designated a natural reserve in 1957. The German-Belgian natural park Hohes Venn-Eifel (700 km2 (270 sq mi)) contains the High Fens, Belgium's largest nature reserve or park, which spans 11,123 acres (45.012 km2). Its highest point is the Signal de Botrange near Eupen, which is also the highest point in Belgium at 694 meters (2,277 feet) above sea level. Here, a six-meter (20-foot) tower that rises 700 meters (2,297 feet) above sea level was constructed.Both on the plateau and in the valley basin, the reserve is a rich ecological endowment of Belgium that is covered in alpine sphagnum-raised bogs (watered solely by precipitation, rather than surface water, as the name "fens" would suggest); the bogs are over 10,000 years old, and their distinctive subalpine flora, fauna, and microclimate are essential to the park's conservation efforts.The High Fens received the "Diploma of Conservation" from the European Council in 1966 in recognition of its ecological significance. The High Fens were included on Belgium's provisional list of UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2008. In the Fens, skiing, cycling, and trekking are permitted winter sports both inside and outside of designated areas. In the High Fens, cross-country skiing is allowed on designated forest trails that are found outside the nature reserve or on the fringes. Outside of the park's designated boundaries, hiking routes have been rearranged. The natural reserve's surrounding thicket would be the only area accessible by foot. In neighboring forests, bike routes have been designated outside the nature reserve. 

The component portion is located between the Dijle and Zenne rivers on a plateau. Despite being just 10 kilometers from Brussels, this is Western Europe's sole Atlantic beech forest. It is impressive, with lots of dead wood and beeches that are more than 180 years old. Consequently, the forest has a high level of biodiversity. This area is home to about 600 different species of beetles, many of which are uncommon and typical of ancient woods.Humans have been managing and altering forests in Western Europe for many millennia. This is also true of the 5,000-hectare Sonian Forest, which is located outside of Brussels. Five portions of the forest were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List of Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe in 2017, making it one of Belgium's several Natura 2000 sites. The numerous people who once lived in the area are responsible for the forest's recognition.The Sonian Forest, a part of the vast coal forest that encased Western Europe following the last ice age, is situated in the residential and urban area on the southeast fringe of Brussels. Throughout history, numerous peoples have occupied and governed the region.