Witte Kinderbos, Nature area in Vilvoorde, Belgium
Witte Kinderbos is a narrow woodland planted along the central reservation of the E19 motorway between Vilvoorde and Antwerp in Belgium. The forest is made up of native tree species and can be accessed on foot via a walking path that runs along its length.
The forest was planted between 1997 and 1999 by volunteers who responded to a wave of public grief following the Dutroux affair in Belgium. The planting was intended to turn collective sorrow into something lasting and visible in the landscape.
The name Witte Kinderbos means "White Children's Forest" in Dutch, a reference to the white marches that crossed Belgium in the late 1990s. Walking through it today, visitors move through a space that still carries that memory in a quiet, tangible way.
The forest is accessible on foot and the path is generally easy to follow for visitors of most ages and fitness levels. Sturdy footwear is a good idea after rain, as the ground along the median can get soft.
The Witte Kinderbos holds a Guinness World Record as the narrowest forest on the planet, sitting entirely on a motorway median strip. Despite the traffic passing on both sides, the trees have grown dense enough to form a closed canopy overhead.
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