Lanaken, Municipality in Limburg, Belgium
Lanaken is a municipality in Limburg, Belgium, made up of six villages: Rekem, Neerharen, Gellik, Veldwezelt, Smeermaas, and Kesselt. The area features a mix of wooded hills, river valleys, and open farmland spread across a broad rural landscape.
The area was divided between Belgium and the Netherlands by the Treaty of London in 1839, following the Belgian Revolution. This territorial separation shaped the current borders of the region.
The municipality maintains strong connections to its mining heritage through the Saint Barbara Hospital, which conducted research on occupational diseases affecting miners from Kempen.
The region has a dense network of cycling paths connecting the villages and providing easy access to Hoge Kempen National Park. Visitors can explore the area by bicycle while discovering different communities and natural areas throughout the municipality.
Archaeological excavations have uncovered remains from multiple periods, including Neolithic settlements, Roman villas, and early medieval burial grounds. These findings show the area has been inhabited for thousands of years and shaped by different civilizations.
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