Nature Reserve Overbroek

Until the rise of artificial fertilizers, after World War II, marl was mined for centuries in the steep edge of Overbroek. These quarries were already mentioned in 1612. In the past, three open-air quarries were operated over a length of 300 meters, from which the marl was used to counteract the acidification of agricultural land. By the end of the 19th century, the Gelinden quarry became world-famous as a site of exceptional scientific importance due to the discovery of large quantities of well-preserved, unique fossils of plants (tree leaves, seeds, seagrasses) from the early Tertiary period of Western Europe. The chalk marl of Gelinden was deposited about 58 million years ago in a mixture of salt seawater and fresh river water, ideal for fossilizing sea and land plants. In the nearby Nature House Haspengouw in Gelinden, there is a permanent exhibition about the marls of Gelinden.

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