Princes Park, Retie
Encyclopedia
The Princes Park in Retie
(Dutch Prinsenpark) is located in the Campine
region of the Antwerp province
in Flanders
, Belgium
. It is a popular park
for walking, jogging, cycling and sightseeing.
region was called an Aart and was used by local farmers. In 1854, King Leopold I of Belgium
acquired about 398 hectares of the Aart of Retie (Dutch: Retiese Aart) with the intention of creating a park and building a castle
. However, the castle was never built.
In 1950 the coal mines
of Beringen acquired the park and used it to grow pine
s for the mine
s to support the tunnel
s. In 1972, the Province of Antwerp acquired the domain and turned it into a public park. The park became well known for scenes of the series Van vlees en bloed which were shot in the park. .
Retie
Retie is a municipality located in the Campine region of the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality only comprises the town of Retie proper. On 1 January 2006 Retie had a total population of 10,321...
(Dutch Prinsenpark) is located in the Campine
Campine
The Campine is a natural region situated chiefly in north-eastern Belgium and parts of the south-western Netherlands which once consisted mainly of extensive moors, tracts of sandy heath, and wetlands...
region of the Antwerp province
Antwerp (province)
Antwerp is the northernmost province both of the Flemish Region, also called Flanders, and of Belgium. It borders on the Netherlands and the Belgian provinces of Limburg, Flemish Brabant and East Flanders. Its capital is Antwerp which comprises the Port of Antwerp...
in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. It is a popular park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
for walking, jogging, cycling and sightseeing.
History
The poor soil of the CampineCampine
The Campine is a natural region situated chiefly in north-eastern Belgium and parts of the south-western Netherlands which once consisted mainly of extensive moors, tracts of sandy heath, and wetlands...
region was called an Aart and was used by local farmers. In 1854, King Leopold I of Belgium
Leopold I of Belgium
Leopold I was from 21 July 1831 the first King of the Belgians, following Belgium's independence from the Netherlands. He was the founder of the Belgian line of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha...
acquired about 398 hectares of the Aart of Retie (Dutch: Retiese Aart) with the intention of creating a park and building a castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
. However, the castle was never built.
In 1950 the coal mines
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
of Beringen acquired the park and used it to grow pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
s for the mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
s to support the tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
s. In 1972, the Province of Antwerp acquired the domain and turned it into a public park. The park became well known for scenes of the series Van vlees en bloed which were shot in the park. .
Source
- Gids voor Vlaanderen, Ed. Omer Vandeputte, Filip Devos, O. Vandeputte, p. 382, Lannoo, 2007
- Prinsenpark (Antwerp province)
- Prinsenpark (Retie)
- Prinsenpark (photo, location)