Lommel Sahara

Sand, silence and light

Lommel Sahara is one of the most unusual landscapes in Belgium. Right in the middle of the Limburgse Kempen you find wide sand flats, fens and rows of pine trees rising at an angle from the drifting sand. It feels like nowhere else. Certainly not like Belgium.

The name 'Sahara' is a bit of an exaggeration, but if you are there at golden hour and the low light catches the sand ridges from the side, you understand the comparison. The texture of the sand stands out sharply. Every wind ripple becomes a line, every tuft of grass an anchor point in the frame.

When to go

Autumn is the strongest period. The pines are always green, but the vegetation around them turns a warm gold and brown. Combined with morning mist over the fens, you get layers in your image that you simply do not have in summer. The sun is also lower, so the golden hour lasts longer and the light catches the sand flat from the side rather than from above.

Going early pays off. At sunrise it is quiet. Later in the day walkers and mountain bikers arrive, and that breaks the sense of solitude that makes the landscape so powerful.

Composition and focal length

A wide lens, say 24mm or 35mm, works well when you want to connect the flat with the sky. If you want to zoom into the fens and add some compression to the background, a 70 to 135mm helps more. The scattered pines standing alone in the sand are strong anchor points for a foreground. Look for a low position, sometimes lying down, to make them appear larger than they are.

The fens call for perfectly still mornings. Wind breaks the reflection quickly. The earlier, the better.

Practical

You park at the Sahara aan de Dool in Lommel. From there you walk into the area, no entry fee, no permit needed for personal photographic use. The site falls under the Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos. Stick to the paths or walk on the open sand, but avoid the vegetated areas as they are fragile. Sturdy shoes are recommended, especially in wet conditions around the fens.

Sources and further reading

• Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos – Lommelse Sahara
• Toerisme Lommel
• Wikipedia – Lommelse Sahara