Zwin Natural Reserve
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Gert Lucas
Shoot with care
About this spot
The Zwin Nature Park is an interactive nature experience park for the entire family.
The Zwin Nature Reserve or Zwin plain straddles the border between Flanders and the Netherlands. Dunes enclose the area. A channel called the Zwin Channel connects the area to the sea. Every high tide makes a large quantity of water from the North Sea flow into the nature reserve. The exact quantity depends on the level of the tide and the direction of the wind. At low tide, the water recedes. This interaction of ebb and flow makes the Zwin an 'intertidal area'.
The Zwin channel branches off into smaller creeks, through which the salty water spreads across the nature reserve. Thanks to the daily influence of the salty seawater, the nature reserve boasts extraordinary fauna and flora which can hardly be found elsewhere along the Belgian coast.
The salty water creates very specific circumstances, resulting in a unique biotope: mudflats and salt marshes. The soil in the mudflats is inhabited by thousands of worms, snails and bivalves; they serve as food for a wide range of birds. A walk across the plain is always an unforgettable experience.
If you want to walk in the Zwin plain, there are various possibilities. Bring your boots or waterproof shoes and follow the signposted routes. Alternatively, challenge yourself by going along the barefoot path and feel the different types of soil in this tidal area – a tingling experience.
The red flag is raised in stormy weather or at spring tides. If the red flag is flying, you are not allowed to enter the Zwin plain because it is dangerous.
The Zwin Nature Reserve or Zwin plain straddles the border between Flanders and the Netherlands. Dunes enclose the area. A channel called the Zwin Channel connects the area to the sea. Every high tide makes a large quantity of water from the North Sea flow into the nature reserve. The exact quantity depends on the level of the tide and the direction of the wind. At low tide, the water recedes. This interaction of ebb and flow makes the Zwin an 'intertidal area'.
The Zwin channel branches off into smaller creeks, through which the salty water spreads across the nature reserve. Thanks to the daily influence of the salty seawater, the nature reserve boasts extraordinary fauna and flora which can hardly be found elsewhere along the Belgian coast.
The salty water creates very specific circumstances, resulting in a unique biotope: mudflats and salt marshes. The soil in the mudflats is inhabited by thousands of worms, snails and bivalves; they serve as food for a wide range of birds. A walk across the plain is always an unforgettable experience.
If you want to walk in the Zwin plain, there are various possibilities. Bring your boots or waterproof shoes and follow the signposted routes. Alternatively, challenge yourself by going along the barefoot path and feel the different types of soil in this tidal area – a tingling experience.
The red flag is raised in stormy weather or at spring tides. If the red flag is flying, you are not allowed to enter the Zwin plain because it is dangerous.
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