Maasheggen Biosphere Reserve

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, inscribed 2018. This agricultural river landscape in the Meuse valley, in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, has been shaped by continuous interaction between people and nature. The site is used for hay meadows and includes the oldest and largest network of natural hedges in the Netherlands. The landscape comprises a mosaic of small agricultural fields enclosed by hedges, sand dunes, forests, lakes, wet meadows and reed beds. The plan is to use the biosphere reserve as a laboratory for sustainable development and tourism.