Livierenbos

Livierenbos is a forest that stretches directly across Belgium's language border, between the municipalities of Brakel (Flanders) and Flobecq/Vloesberg (Wallonia). The woodland sits at the meeting point of two landscape regions: the Flemish Ardennes (Vlaamse Ardennen) to the north and the Pays des Collines area to the south, on the Walloon side. This position makes Livierenbos one of the rare places in Belgium where an administrative and linguistic boundary runs straight through the middle of a natural forest area.

Where exactly is the forest located?

Livierenbos lies almost entirely within the municipality of Vloesberg (Flobecq), with only small outlying sections — including one on the Buistemberg hill — extending into the municipality of Brakel. The forest's geographic coordinates are approximately 50.7733°N, 3.75303°E. The terrain is hilly, typical of the chain of "witness hills" (getuigenheuvels) that runs through this part of southern Flanders and the adjoining Walloon territory.

Part of a larger forest belt

Livierenbos is not an isolated patch of green — it forms part of a wider forest belt that also includes the neighboring Brakelbos (roughly 52 hectares), Bos Ter Rijst, and the beech woods around Flobecq. Together, these connected woodlands cover close to 200 hectares, making the belt one of the more substantial continuous forest areas in the region. Beech is the dominant tree species across most of this belt, giving it a distinctively light canopy in spring and vivid colors in autumn.

Walking trails and tourism

Several marked walking routes run through the forest and its surroundings. Among them are the Tweebossenpad ("two forests path") and the Taalgrenswandelroute T6, a 6.84-kilometer trail that follows the language border. These routes let visitors cross between the neighboring forests and take in the varied, hilly landscape of the area, where open farmland alternates with wooded slopes.

The wolf's return to Flanders

Livierenbos holds a specific place in Belgium's natural history: it was here, in 2017, that a wild wolf was spotted in Flanders for the first time in centuries. The sighting drew wide media attention and was seen as a symbolic milestone marking the species' return to Belgian nature after a long absence. Given its size and its connection to neighboring forest tracts, the area offers suitable habitat conditions for large mammals moving through this part of Western Europe.

Frequently asked questions

Is Livierenbos located in Flanders or Wallonia? The forest straddles both regions — the larger part falls administratively under Vloesberg (Flobecq) in the province of Hainaut (Wallonia), while smaller sections belong to Brakel in East Flanders.

How large is this forest area? Livierenbos itself is part of a larger belt that, together with the neighboring Brakelbos, Bos Ter Rijst, and the beech forests of Flobecq, covers nearly 200 hectares in total.

Which trails can visitors walk here? The best-known routes include the Tweebossenpad and the Taalgrenswandelroute T6, a trail of just under 7 kilometers that follows the language border.

Why is Livierenbos ecologically significant? It is the site of the first documented return of a wolf to Flanders in 2017, after centuries of the species' absence from the region.