The Mechelse Heide is part of the Flemish Nature Reserve Hoge Kempen. It is located on the eastern edge of the Kempisch Plateau and was the first nature reserve in Limburg. With a total area of 900 hectares, it is also one of the largest heathlands in Flanders. The management is in the hands of the Agency for Nature and Forest. The rolling landscape, with loamy sandy soil and peaty spots, conjures up a beautiful purple carpet of flowering heather in summer. On the hilltops you have a beautiful view over the heath and the Maasland.