Sonian Forest – Forest reserve Ticton A

Forest Reserve Ticton A is a small, strictly protected patch of the Sonian Forest located in the municipality of La Hulpe, in the province of Walloon Brabant, Belgium. It forms part of the wider Ticton reserve complex, which together covers roughly 23.5 hectares of old-growth woodland at the southern edge of the forest, close to the Solvay Estate.

What makes this stretch of forest special?

The Sonian Forest, including the Ticton reserve, is a remnant of a much larger primeval forest that once surrounded Brussels. Today the forest is split across Belgium's three regions – Brussels-Capital, Flanders and Wallonia – and Ticton sits in the Walloon section, right next to the town of La Hulpe. Because of this location, the reserve borders some of the most popular walking grounds in the area, built around the former estate of the Solvay family.

Why was Ticton given integral protection?

Three forest reserves within the Sonian Forest have been designated as "integral" reserves, meaning the woodland is left to develop entirely on its own, without forestry intervention. Alongside Ticton, these are Grippensdelle in the Brussels Region and Joseph Zwaenepoel in Flanders. What unites all three is an unusually rich age structure of trees: very old specimens are neither felled nor thinned, so dead wood is allowed to decay in place, enriching the soil and creating habitats for insects, fungi and birds that depend on decaying timber.

UNESCO recognition

Since 7 July 2017, sections of the Sonian Forest, including the Ticton reserve, have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of a transnational listing covering ancient and primeval beech forests across Europe. This recognition highlights how exceptional these surviving ecosystems are – areas that have been left outside active forest management for years, allowing them to retain the natural character of old deciduous woodland dominated by beech and oak.

What can visitors see nearby?

While the Ticton A reserve itself, as a strictly protected zone, is not designed for heavy foot traffic, the surrounding area is among the most visited in the region. A long walking route links Groenendael, La Hulpe Castle and the Solvay Estate with the Ticton reserve – a moderately demanding trail spanning several kilometres and taking a few hours to complete, winding through a mosaic of old stands, clearings and beech avenues typical of the wider Sonian Forest.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the Ticton A reserve located? In the municipality of La Hulpe, in Walloon Brabant province, at the southern edge of the Sonian Forest, next to the Solvay Estate.

What distinguishes an integral reserve from a regular managed forest? In an integral reserve all human intervention is halted – trees are neither cut down nor planted, and the forest develops according to its own natural cycles of ageing and renewal.

Is Ticton A part of the UNESCO listing? Yes, since 2017 parts of the Sonian Forest, including integral reserves such as Ticton, have been included in an international UNESCO World Heritage listing covering Europe's ancient beech forests.

Can the reserve be visited on foot? Direct access to the strictly protected zones may be restricted, but the surrounding trails, including the route through the Solvay Estate, are open to the public and popular with hikers.