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Campine (Kempen)
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Explore Belgium's Campine for heathland walks, canal cycling, historic colonies, forest landscapes and distinctive towns from Turnhout to Lommel.

The Campine, known in Dutch as the Kempen, is a broad sandy region in north-eastern Belgium, extending across the provinces of Antwerp and Limburg. Its landscape is defined by contrasts: open heath, pine forest, agricultural clearings, canal banks and small towns separated by long stretches of quiet countryside. Rather than a single city-centred destination, it is a network of places and landscapes best explored through several bases, including Turnhout, Mol, Geel, Lommel, Hoogstraten and the Limburg towns around the Hoge Kempen National Park.
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The Antwerp Campine has a strong regional identity shaped by heathland, historic market towns and former colonial settlements. Turnhout is the principal cultural centre, known internationally for its playing-card tradition and for a well-preserved beguinage. Around Hoogstraten and Merksplas, historic agricultural colonies preserve a distinctive pattern of avenues, fields and institutional buildings. The abbey at Postel, near Mol, adds a quieter religious dimension, while the canals around Mol, Dessel and Retie reflect the engineering projects that opened the sandy interior to trade and industry.
Further east, the Limburg Campine becomes more strongly associated with woodland, mineral extraction and large-scale nature conservation. Lommel combines cycling routes and forest with the pale dunes of the Lommelse Sahara. The Hoge Kempen National Park, centred in Limburg, protects extensive upland forests, heath and former mining landscapes; its viewpoints and walking networks reveal a region that is more varied in relief than its traditionally flat image suggests. The National Park is spread across several municipalities, so individual trailheads and visitor facilities should be selected according to the area being visited.
The Campine's history is visible in layers rather than in one monumental cityscape. Prehistoric flint working, medieval religious foundations, nineteenth-century charitable colonies and twentieth-century industrial research all left their mark. Geel is associated with a long-established tradition of family-based care for people with mental illness, while Mol became an important centre for nuclear research. These histories contribute to a contemporary region in which technical institutions, working landscapes and nature reserves exist alongside village churches and farm lanes.
Cycling is one of the most rewarding ways to travel between the Campine's woods, canals and villages, with several well-developed networks linking junctions across the provinces. Walkers can choose heathland paths, forest trails or national-park routes, while families may be drawn to attractions such as Bobbejaanland near Lichtaart. Local food reflects both Belgian habits and regional production: beers, dairy, bread, seasonal vegetables and produce from market gardens around Hoogstraten are widely encountered. The Campine rewards visitors who allow time for its spacious landscapes and understand that its character lies in the relationship between nature, settlement and industry.

When is the best time to visit Campine (Kempen)?

Best: June–August · 21–23°C
Average daytime high and rainfall by month
MonthHigh (°C)Rainfall (mm)
January560
February650
March1050
April1350
May1860
June (best)2170
July (best)2380
August (best)2280
September2070
October1560
November960
December570

Getting to and around Campine (Kempen)

How to get there

The Campine is reached most conveniently through Belgium's rail and road network. Turnhout has direct rail links with Antwerp, while Herentals, Geel, Mol and Lommel provide useful railway access to different parts of the region. Antwerp-Central and Antwerp-Berchem are practical rail gateways from elsewhere in Belgium, and Brussels Airport, outside the Campine, is the principal international gateway for many overseas visitors. Brussels Airport is connected to the Belgian rail network; from there, continue towards Antwerp or another suitable regional interchange. By car, motorways around Antwerp and Hasselt provide access to the Campine, although final journeys to rural attractions may use slower local roads.

Transportation

Railways connect the principal towns, but buses and walking or cycling are often needed for nature reserves, abbeys and rural heritage sites. De Lijn operates regional bus services, though frequencies and direct connections vary considerably outside urban areas. A car is useful for combining dispersed attractions such as Merksplas Colony, Postel and the Lommelse Sahara, while bicycles are exceptionally practical on canal towpaths and the region's numbered cycling networks. The Hoge Kempen National Park has several access points rather than one central entrance, so choose a trailhead near the landscape you intend to visit.

Top city travel guides in Campine (Kempen)

The cities of Campine (Kempen), and the easiest places to base yourself.

Destinations in Campine (Kempen)

Resorts, valleys and scenic spots worth a trip of their own.

Best attractions in Campine (Kempen)

The Campine's attractions are distributed through a landscape of heath, pine forest, canals and market towns rather than concentrated in one historic centre. Turnhout offers the National Playing Card Museum and a beguinage, while nearby Kasterlee is home to Bobbejaanland, a large amusement park suited to families. The former colonies at Merksplas and Wortel provide an unusual combination of social history, farm landscapes and long avenues. Around Mol and Dessel, canals, lakes and cycling routes reveal the region's industrial and recreational sides, with Postel Abbey offering a more contemplative destination. Lommel combines woodland recreation with the pale dunes and open space of the Lommelse Sahara. In the Limburg section of the Campine, the Hoge Kempen National Park provides extensive walking and cycling opportunities through heath, forest, ponds and former mining landscapes. Smaller museums, village churches, farms, gardens and local cultural centres fill the spaces between the principal sites. Visitors should allow for changing distances and access arrangements, since a nature reserve or heritage complex may be several kilometres from the nearest railway station.

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Best landmarks in Campine (Kempen)

The Campine's most recognisable landmarks reflect religious history, social reform, industrial change and distinctive natural scenery. Turnhout Beguinage, a historic enclosed community of houses and religious buildings, illustrates the architectural and social history of Flemish beguine life. Postel Abbey near Mol remains a prominent religious landmark in an otherwise open rural setting, its long association with cultivation helping explain the surrounding landscape. Merksplas Colony and Wortel Colony are marked by planned avenues, farms and institutional buildings that embody nineteenth-century ideas about poverty, labour and discipline; together they belong to the UNESCO-listed Colonies of Benevolence. The Kempens Canal and related waterways are less monumental but equally characteristic, with locks, bridges and towpaths showing how engineering reshaped the sandy interior. In Lommel, the Lommelse Sahara is a striking natural landmark of pale sand, woodland and open heath. Further east, the elevated forest and heath landscapes of the Hoge Kempen National Park provide the Campine with one of Belgium's clearest large-scale natural symbols.

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Best restaurants in Campine (Kempen)

Dining in the Campine is closely tied to Belgian café and brasserie culture, with regional variations shaped by farming, market gardening and the sandy interior. Turnhout, Geel, Mol and Lommel offer the broadest choice of restaurants, while villages and cycling routes are associated with cafés, bakeries and traditional inns. Seasonal vegetables and soft fruit from the wider Antwerp Campine, including the market-gardening area around Hoogstraten, appear in local kitchens and shops. Belgian staples such as chips, croquettes, stews, waffles and beer are common, but the region's food identity is often expressed through local produce rather than one defining dish. Abbey products associated with Postel, including beer and cheese made under the abbey's name or regional tradition, are popular purchases, though availability varies. Look for bakeries, farm shops and producers selling dairy, bread, fruit and regional beers, and expect menus in rural establishments to be shorter and more seasonal than those in larger towns.

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Best bars in Campine (Kempen)

Evening life in the Campine is generally centred on cafés, brown pubs, brasseries and village restaurants rather than a large club scene. Turnhout has the widest urban choice, including bars around its centre and venues connected with local cultural life; Geel and Mol also offer student, music and restaurant-oriented evenings. In smaller towns, traditional pubs and terraces provide the main social setting, often with an extensive Belgian beer selection, while breweries and specialist beer cafés offer opportunities to explore local styles without treating drinking as the region's only evening activity. The area around Bobbejaanland becomes busier during its operating season, but this should not be confused with a permanent nightlife district. In the Limburg Campine, evenings are often quiet once visitors leave the national-park and forest areas, with restaurants and accommodation bars providing the principal options. Opening days and late-night transport vary, so rural visitors should arrange a return journey in advance.

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Best nightclubs in Campine (Kempen)

Evening life in the Campine is generally centred on cafés, brown pubs, brasseries and village restaurants rather than a large club scene. Turnhout has the widest urban choice, including bars around its centre and venues connected with local cultural life; Geel and Mol also offer student, music and restaurant-oriented evenings. In smaller towns, traditional pubs and terraces provide the main social setting, often with an extensive Belgian beer selection, while breweries and specialist beer cafés offer opportunities to explore local styles without treating drinking as the region's only evening activity. The area around Bobbejaanland becomes busier during its operating season, but this should not be confused with a permanent nightlife district. In the Limburg Campine, evenings are often quiet once visitors leave the national-park and forest areas, with restaurants and accommodation bars providing the principal options. Opening days and late-night transport vary, so rural visitors should arrange a return journey in advance.

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Best shops in Campine (Kempen)

Shopping in the Campine is concentrated in the high streets of Turnhout, Geel, Mol, Lommel and other market towns, where independent retailers sit alongside national chains and everyday services. Turnhout is the strongest choice for cultural shopping, with books, design, paper-related products and items connected with its playing-card heritage. In smaller towns, weekly markets and bakeries are useful for bread, seasonal fruit, cheese and prepared food, while farm shops around the agricultural parts of the region sell local produce when in season. Visitors may also find Belgian beer, abbey-associated products from the Postel area, chocolate, biscuits and regional confectionery in specialist food shops. Craft and antiques are more likely to appear in individual galleries, estate sales and village shops than in a single dedicated district. Lommel and the Hoge Kempen area add outdoor and cycling-related retail, as well as nature-themed souvenirs. Check market days locally, since schedules differ between municipalities and some rural shops keep limited hours.

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Campine (Kempen) essentials

Currency and Payment
The currency is the euro (EUR), as in the rest of Belgium. Cards and contactless payments are widely accepted in hotels, supermarkets, museums, restaurants and larger attractions, although a small amount of cash remains useful for village cafés, occasional market stalls, lockers or rural services. Belgian payment terminals may ask whether a cardholder wants to pay in euros, and visitors should check the displayed currency before confirming. Payment habits are broadly national rather than specific to the Campine.
Safety
The Campine is generally straightforward for visitors, but ordinary precautions still apply in railway stations, busy attractions and town centres. On cycling routes, use lights in poor visibility and take care at road crossings, canal bridges and shared paths. Heathland and forest trails can become sandy, muddy or slippery after rain, while summer heat and ticks may affect longer walks. Follow signs near water, former industrial sites and protected nature areas, and do not enter restricted land. Drivers should expect narrow rural roads, cyclists and agricultural vehicles.
Emergency Situations
In Belgium, call 112 for an ambulance, fire service or urgent medical emergency. Police assistance can be requested on 101, while 112 can also connect callers to urgent police help. Give the exact municipality, street, cycle route or marked walking point, since rural locations can be difficult to identify. For a non-urgent medical problem, ask accommodation staff or a local pharmacy about the appropriate service. In the Hoge Kempen and other nature areas, follow the area's signs and provide the nearest access point or numbered junction to rescuers.
Do's and Don'ts
Stay on marked paths in heathland, woodland and national-park areas, close gates behind you and follow local rules for dogs, cycling and fires. Give way courteously on shared cycle and walking routes, especially near villages and canal crossings. In churches, abbeys and beguinages, dress and behave respectfully and check whether photography is permitted. Belgian dining etiquette is generally relaxed but reservations are sensible for popular restaurants. Do not assume that every rural attraction accepts late visitors, and avoid entering former colonies, working farms or industrial sites beyond their public areas.
Local Tips
Use a detailed regional cycling map or the official numbered-node information rather than relying solely on a phone signal in forested areas. The Campine is best understood through linked landscapes, so combine one cultural stop with a walk or cycle ride instead of trying to cover several distant towns in one day. Turnhout, Geel, Mol and Lommel make useful bases for different sections, while Hoogstraten and the colonies suit a separate Antwerp-Campine itinerary. Local cafés often serve beer and simple meals earlier than visitors from larger cities may expect, so check arrangements before setting out.
Eve, your Evendo local guide

From Eve

Local phrases worth knowing

You don't need to get them perfect. A few words go a long way, and locals appreciate the effort.

6 phrase groups · English, local and pronunciation

Basics
EnglishLocalSay it
HelloHallo[Hah-lo]
GoodbyeTot ziens[Tot zeens]
YesJa[Yah]
NoNee[Nay]
Please/You're welcomeAlsjeblieft[Al-she-bleeft]
Thank youDank je[Dahnk yuh]
Excuse me/SorryNeem me niet kwalijk[Naym meh neet kwa-lik]
How are you?Hoe gaat het?[Hoo ghat het]
Fine. And you?Goed. En jij?[Ghoot. En yay?]
Do you speak English?Spreek je Engels?[Sprayk yuh Eng-els]
I don't understandIk begrijp het niet[Ik be-ghrayf het neet]
Eating & Drinking
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to see the menu, pleaseIk zou graag het menu willen zien, alsjeblieft[Ik zow grahkh het meh-nu wil-len zeen, al-she-bleeft]
I don't eat meatIk eet geen vlees[Ik eet ghen vlays]
Cheers!Proost![Prohst]
I would like to pay, pleaseIk zou graag willen betalen, alsjeblieft[Ik zow grahkh wil-len beh-ta-len, al-she-bleeft]
Emergencies
EnglishLocalSay it
Help!Help![Help]
Go away!Ga weg![Gah vehg]
Call the Police!Bel de politie![Bel de po-lee-tsie]
Call a doctor!Bel een dokter![Bel ayn dok-ter]
I'm lostIk ben verdwaald[Ik ben fer-dwahlt]
I'm illIk ben ziek[Ik ben zeek]
Shopping
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to buy...Ik zou graag ... kopen[Ik zow grahkh ... koh-pen]
I'm just lookingIk kijk alleen maar[Ik kayk ah-layn mar]
How much is it?Hoeveel kost het?[Hoo-veel kost het]
That's too expensiveDat is te duur[Daht is te dur]
Can you lower the price?Kun je de prijs verlagen?[Kun yuh de prays ver-lah-ghen]
Time & Numbers
EnglishLocalSay it
What time is it?Hoe laat is het?[Hoo laat is het]
It's one o'clockHet is één uur[Het is ayn oor]
Half past (10)Half tien[Half teen]
MorningOchtend[Okh-tent]
AfternoonMiddag[Mid-dahkh]
EveningAvond[Ah-vont]
YesterdayGisteren[Ghis-te-ren]
TodayVandaag[Vahn-dahkh]
TomorrowMorgen[Mor-ghen]
11[Eyn]
22[Twee]
33[Drie]
44[Vier]
55[Vijf]
66[Zes]
77[Zeven]
88[Acht]
99[Negen]
1010[Tien]
Transport & Directions
EnglishLocalSay it
Where's a/the...?Waar is een ...?[Waar is ayn ...?]
What's the address?Wat is het adres?[Wat is het ah-dres]
Can you show me (on the map)?Kun je me (op de kaart) laten zien?[Kun yuh meh (op de kaart) lah-ten zeen]
When's the next (bus)?Wanneer is de volgende (bus)?[Vahn-neer is de vol-ghende (bus)]
A ticket (to ....)Een ticket (naar ...)[Ayn tik-ket (nahr ...)]

History of Campine (Kempen)

Prehistoric Flint Working in the Sandy Interior

The Campine was occupied long before its modern towns developed. Archaeological evidence from the region, particularly around Lommel, records prehistoric flint extraction and working. Flint was valuable for making tools, and the activities associated with obtaining it demonstrate that the sandy interior was part of wider networks of movement and exchange. Many archaeological traces are not presented as dramatic monuments, but they help explain the depth of human settlement beneath the later heathland and woodland landscape.

Taxandria and the Medieval Landscape

In the early medieval period, the wider Campine was associated with Taxandria, a historical name for the sandy region north of the Belgian-Meuse area. Settlement remained relatively dispersed, with villages, fields, common heath and marshy ground forming a landscape very different from the intensively cultivated lowlands. Medieval towns such as Turnhout and Hoogstraten grew as local centres, while churches, lordships and religious institutions established lasting territorial influence.

Abbeys, Heath and Agricultural Settlement

Religious foundations played an important role in transforming parts of the Campine. The Premonstratensian Abbey of Postel, founded in the twelfth century, became a major spiritual and agricultural presence near Mol. Monastic and later commercial initiatives brought land into cultivation, managed woodland and connected scattered settlements. Much of the region nevertheless remained poor, sandy and dependent on a careful balance between farming, grazing, peat or turf extraction and the use of common heath.

Turnhout, Printing and Playing Cards

Turnhout developed a specialised printing industry that became especially associated with playing cards. From the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries onwards, local printers built expertise in card production, creating an economic and cultural identity that remains central to the town's heritage. The industry linked the Campine to international trade while also supporting related skills in illustration, printing and paper production. The National Playing Card Museum preserves this story and places it within the broader history of graphic manufacture.

Nineteenth-Century Colonies of Benevolence

The nineteenth century brought organised experiments in land reclamation and social administration to the Campine. Agricultural colonies at Wortel and Merksplas were established within the Belgian system of colonies of benevolence, combining cultivation, discipline and assistance for poor or marginalised populations. Their avenues, farms, fields and institutional buildings remain unusually legible in the landscape. Wortel Colony and Merksplas Colony form part of the transnational UNESCO World Heritage listing for the Colonies of Benevolence.

Canals, Industry and the Opening of the Kempen

Canal construction and improved roads changed the Campine from a relatively isolated sandy interior into a region linked to Belgian and international markets. The navigation canals around Herentals, Mol, Dessel and Bocholt supported agriculture, trade and industry, while the Kempen Canal system created new settlements and working landscapes along its banks. Glassmaking, metalworking, sand extraction and other industries expanded in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, leaving a legacy of towpaths, factory sites and engineered waterways.

Modern Science, Care and Nature Conservation

Twentieth-century Campine history combined industrial development with new public institutions and environmental protection. Mol became a major Belgian centre for nuclear research, while Geel's long tradition of community-based family care for people with mental illness continued into the modern era. At the same time, forests, heath and former industrial land increasingly came to be protected for recreation and biodiversity. The Hoge Kempen National Park represents this later transformation, presenting former working landscapes as an important part of contemporary regional heritage.

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Evendo: Your Ultimate Travel Guide to Campine (Kempen), Belgium

Discover Campine (Kempen) with Evendo, a 100% free app-based travel guide covering attractions, landmarks, restaurants, hotels, tours, and more.

  • Detailed information on attractions, landmarks, shops, bars, nightclubs, restaurants, hotels, tours, experiences, and activities
  • High-quality images and comprehensive descriptions
  • Local tips and recommendations
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  • Interactive maps and easy navigation
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Planning a trip to Campine (Kempen), Belgium? Make the most out of your journey with Evendo, the ultimate app-based travel guide. Evendo provides detailed information on the region's top attractions, landmarks, shops, bars, nightclubs, restaurants, hotels, tours, experiences, and activities.

Imagine strolling through the scenic landscapes of Campine, visiting the famous Bobbejaanland amusement park, or exploring the historic Postel Abbey. With Evendo, every landmark comes alive with rich descriptions, vivid images, and essential local tips. Discover top dining spots like De Watermolen and Het Gebaar, or shop till you drop at the local markets and boutiques.

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