Heist mountain

Via the chapel Our Lady in 't Hout, we climb the Heist hill, which at 48.5 meters is the second highest in the province, after the Beerzelberg at 51.5 meters. At the top, there is a water and observation tower (32 meters high) where, after 138 steps (or by elevator), you will find a platform. From here, on a clear day, you can see Brussels, Antwerp, and Limburg. On the roof stands a copper swan, a design by artist Arthur Vereecke. “The mountain was formed millions of years ago by sea currents. When the sea level dropped, glauconitic sand transformed into iron sandstone,” Jan explains. “The soft soil eroded, but iron sandstone and clay remained as witness hills. Later, a mountain forest developed here.” Heist-op-den-Berg used to be simply called Heist. “That name comes from the Old Dutch 'hoiste' which meant 'highest'. The verb to hoist, to pull something up, is derived from it. When people in the 18th century no longer knew what Heist meant, 'op-den-Berg' was added. This way, we also distinguish it from Heist-aan-Zee.”

GVA - Gazet van Antwerpen