Diest (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The Op de Schomme recreation area in Molenstede, near Diest, opened in 2025. Managed by Natuurpunt, it links to Dassenaarde reserve, featuring restored trails, playgrounds, and wildlife habitats on former pig farms, costing €995,000.
As VRT News reported, a new recreation area called “Op de Schomme” has opened in Molestede, near Diest, in the province of Flemish Brabant, Belgium. The project turns former farmland into a natural space for people and wildlife.
According to Johan Toebat from the Agency for Nature and Forests, which helped design the area, this project is
“a textbook example of how agricultural land can be returned to nature and water.”
The site has been completely transformed. Old pig barns were demolished, and the land was fully depaved.
What’s new at Op de Schomme near Diest with Natuurpunt trails?
The area will be managed by Natuurpunt (Nature Point) because it connects directly to the Dassenaarde nature reserve. Dassenaarde is named after the badgers that lived there until the 1950s. The reserve stretches across the villages of Molenstede, Schaffen, and Engsbergen in Limburg. The new recreation area creates a larger green corridor.
“At the Schomme, we bring nature and people closer together. This is a place where children can play and walkers can enjoy themselves. With new walking paths, play areas, and a reception area, we make nature accessible,”
Says Jo Brouns (CD&V), Flemish Minister of Agriculture and Environment.
Visitors to the newly opened “Op de Schomme” recreation area can park at a central reception point before exploring the natural surroundings. The reception provides detailed information about the area and its wildlife. Several new hiking trails lead from the reception and connect the site to the wider Merode hiking network.
The area also features facilities for children. A playground includes a climbing course, a jungle swing, and other outdoor games. Wooden sculptures of black woodpeckers and whiskered bats are placed throughout the park to remind visitors of the local wildlife.
The restored grasslands, woodlands, and fens now provide habitats for a variety of species, including heathland animals, insects such as the field cricket and the common haystack, and birds like the tree pipit and honey buzzard.
“By removing paved surfaces and creating new natural areas, we protect the surrounding area and village centres from drought and flooding,”
Concludes Els Remans of the Flemish Land Agency.
The “Op de Schomme” project in Molenstede, near Diest, started in 2020 when authorities decided to turn a former pig farm into a natural recreation area. Old barns were demolished in August 2023, and the land was restored with grasslands, woodlands, and wetlands. The area connects to the Dassenaarde nature reserve, creating a larger green corridor for wildlife and visitors. The name “Op de Schomme” dates back to 1764, referring to the land’s poor soil.
