Top 12 Lakes around Denderleeuw

An ideal pond dries up every three to five years. This prevents the fish that eat salamanders and frog eggs from surviving. This pond is primarily home to the fire salamander. This is a rare and protected species found in the Kravaal Forest. Capturing, moving, or transporting them is prohibited. They are recognizable by their striking black and yellow spot pattern, but are rarely seen. They live on land and spend most of their time under rotting logs or piles of branches. At night, they are active and hunt. (Brochure: Discover the Kravaal Forest)

Aalst City Park, also known as Park Schepen De Wolf, is a 15-hectare green oasis southeast of the city center. The park was created between 1915 and 1916 by landscape architect Louis-Julien Breydel, under the direction of Alderman Désiré De Wolf, to provide employment for residents during the First World War. You'll find charming water features such as the Balloon Pond and Mirror Pond, walking paths, playgrounds, and historic buildings like the garden, card, and milk houses. Since 1977, the park has been a protected cultural-historical landscape and offers a perfect blend of nature, history, and relaxation.

In Aalst City Park lies the rectangular Spiegelvijver (Mirror Pond), surrounded by wooded areas that connect to the Osbroek nature reserve. At the entrance to the pond stands a striking arched structure from 1758, originally part of the former Van der Haegen house. In 1964, the gate was rebuilt in its current location, giving the park an idyllic, historical accent for walkers and nature lovers.

Where once one of Meldert's most important quarries lay, now the clear water of a large pond sparkles. At first this was a marshland, but in 1962 a stream was dammed and the quarry filled up.

The pond has a rectangular shape and is surrounded by forest plots that connect to the Osbroek nature reserve. At the beginning of the Spiegelvijver in the Stadspark of Aalst there is a striking arched construction. This gate was originally built in 1758 as part of the rear buildings of the old Van der Haegen house at Nieuwstraat 37. In 1964, when this house was demolished, the city council bought the row of arches and had them rebuilt at the beginning of the Spiegelvijver. This historic gate gives the corner of the city park a particularly idyllic character and is a beautiful addition to the landscape design of the park.

The Stadspark van Aalst, also known as the Groot Park or Park Schepen de Wolf, is a beautiful park located southeast of the city center of Aalst. The park covers an area of approximately 15 hectares. The history of the park begins in the period around the First World War. In 1910-1911, the Osbroek was purchased by alderman of finance Moyersoen for public use. Under the policy of alderman of public works Désiré De Wolf, the park was laid out between 1915 and 1916 by landscape architect Louis-Julien Breydel. The park was specially designed to provide work for the residents of Aalst and to remove them from the war conditions. The park consists of several water features, including the Ballonvijver and the Spiegelvijver, surrounded by lawns and groups of tall trees. There are also several walking paths and playgrounds, and some of the original structures, such as the garden, card and milk house, are still present. The park has also been a protected cultural-historical landscape since 1977.

The large pond in the Kravaalbos forest is a remnant of a historic quarry. As early as the 12th century, a closed farmstead, once used for stone quarrying, stood on the site of Hof te Putte. Hof te Putte and Putstraat clearly refer to the quarries. The forest also owes its name to them. Kravaal comes from "car" and "vaal," meaning "stone" and "valley." (Kravaalbos Hiking Brochure)

Beautiful path through the still young forest.