Het Leen, Provincial forest domain in Lievegem and Eeklo, Belgium

Het Leen is a provincial domain of more than 285 hectares on the territory of Lievegem and Eeklo, mostly covered by mixed deciduous forest. It lies within the Natura 2000 area 'Bossen en heiden van Zandig Vlaanderen: oostelijk deel'. The domain includes an arboretum and a pond whose still, greenish-brown water reflects the trees along the far bank.

From 1205, the Sint-Janshospitaal of Bruges extracted peat here, shipping it via the Lieve canal dug in 1252 past the Altena farm. In 1744 Maria Theresa, inaugurated as Countess of Flanders, ordered trees planted and ditches dug between the plots. The ministry of defence bought the area in 1937 for an ammunition depot and sold it to East Flanders province in 1973.

The name may come from the Heren van Oostwinkel, who owned part of the area, making it a 'leen' or fief. A salt road, used to carry salt from the Altenahoeve to Ghent, crossed the woods and is still largely followed by paths in Het Leen. The Lieve canal, dug in 1252, ran behind the Altena farm, which was founded by the Sint-Janshospitaal of Bruges.

Het Leen has 36 km of walking paths, half of them paved concrete tracks suited to wheelchair users and maintenance vehicles. The unpaved paths become muddy after rain and need rubber boots. The provincial forest museum, forest information centre and Bosklassencentrum Hermeleen opened in 1993.

The domain also holds an arboretum, a planted tree collection rather than a wild stand. It sits beside the provincial forest museum, Bosinfocentrum Het Leen, and the Bosklassencentrum Hermeleen, all opened in 1993. Walkers pass it on the waymarked paths through the 285-hectare complex.