Page 26 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Belgium & Luxembourg

24  i NTroduci N g BEl giu M AN d lu x EMBourg

Landscape and Wildlife

Belgium has a misleading reputation for being a flat country.
This is only true of the northwest, where polders of drained
coastal marshes form large expanses of rich green pastures.
The central band of the country features undulating farmland,
while to the southeast, the terrain rises progressively into the
dramatic hills and scenic forests of the Ardennes. The rivers
Sambre and Meuse slice through central Belgium, forming
a natural northern boundary to the Ardennes. Belgium’s
wildlife reflects this diversity in landscape with a full cross-
section of North European flora and fauna, from deer, wild
boar and eagle owls in the Ardennes to the huge flocks of Limestone caves at Han-sur-Lesse in the
migratory birds that visit the coast. Belgian Ardennes

The Coast Rich Farmlands and Polders
Along Belgium’s North Sea shore, sandy beaches Just inland from the coast, fertile arable land,
slope gently to the sea, creating a long tidal interspersed with woodland, rises towards a
reach. Resorts now line the coast, protected by central band. Grain, sugarbeet, vegetables and
high dykes, but the old dune landscapes at the fruit are grown here. The Pajottenland, Hageland
eastern and western ends have been preserved and Haspengouw regions pride themselves on
as wildlife sanctuaries. their agricultural produce.
The pink-footed goose (Anser The red squirrel (Sciurus
brachyrhynchus) is among the vulgaris) is seen around the
seasonal visitors to the coast, woodlands, where it nests
overwintering to the south of its in conifer trees.
breeding grounds in the Arctic.

Sea lavender (Limonium Rosebay willowherb, or
vulgare) dapples the dune fireweed (Epilobium
landscapes with mauve angustifolium), is a
when it flowers in summer. tough perennial that
lends colour to the
fringes of farmland.

The brown hare (Lepus europaeus)
The grey seal (Halichoerus likes open country, farmland and
grypus) lives in the North orchards. Living alone or in pairs, it
Sea, and occasionally feeds on grasses and twigs and
comes ashore. raises its young above ground.

024-025_EW_Belgium.indd 24 16/10/14 3:33 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Feature template “UK” LAYER
(SourceReport v1.3)
Date 18th October 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm