Heindonk is a village in Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

, north of Brussels

Brussels

Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...

 and south of Antwerp. It is situated west from the town of Mechelen

Mechelen

Mechelen Footnote: Mechelen became known in English as 'Mechlin' from which the adjective 'Mechlinian' is derived...

, belonging to the municipality of Willebroek

Willebroek

Willebroek is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the towns of Blaasveld, Heindonk, Tisselt, Klein Willebroek and Willebroek proper. On January 1, 2006 Willebroek had a total population of 23,044...

, in the province of Antwerp.

In Heindonk is The Hazewinkel

Hazewinkel

The Hazewinkel is a Bloso 2,000 m rowing and regatta course in Heindonk, belonging to the municipality of Willebroek, near Mechelen, Belgium. The site consists of a finishing tower, boathouses, a cafeteria and eight basic huts that house athletes using the lake. The course hosts the Great...

, a 2,000 m rowing

Rowing (sport)

Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...

 and regatta

Regatta

A regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...

 course, where many World Championships Rowing took place. Apart from the Hazewinkel Heindonk is surrounded by water and nature. The rivers Zenne

Zenne

The Zenne or Senne is a small river that flows through Brussels, left tributary of the Dijle/Dyle. Its source is in the municipality of Soignies. It is an indirect tributary of the Scheldt, through the Dijle and the Rupel...

 coming from Brussels, Dyle coming from Louvain

Leuven

Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...

, Nete

Nete

Nete may mean:*Nete , in northern Belgium*Nete language, spoken in Papua New Guinea*Nete , one of the three muses of the lyre that were worshipped at Delphi. Her sisters were Mese and Hypate...

 coming from Lier

Lier

Lier may refer to:* Lier, Belgium* Lier, Norway* De Lier, a town in the Netherlands* Li Er, also known as Laozi, a Chinese philosopher- See also :* Liar...

 and the channel Louvain-Dyle all come together north of Heindonk, forming the river

River

A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

 Rupel

Rupel

The Rupel is a tidal river in northern Belgium, right tributary of the Scheldt. It is about 12 km long. It flows through the Belgian province Antwerp. It is formed by the confluence of the rivers Dijle and Nete, in Rumst. It flows into the Scheldt at Rupelmonde. Towns along the Rupel are...

.

A surflake called 'De Bocht', is near a small castle called De Bocht, which means 'the curve', because it is next to the Rupel where the river makes a curve between the towns Terhagen and Rumst

Rumst

Rumst is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. Since 1976 the municipality not only comprises Rumst proper but also the towns of Reet and Terhagen, which were independent municipalities before that year.Industry in Rumst, like Boom, was heavily focused around the production...

 on the other side of the river. At the side of Heindonk this curve creates a creek

Stream

A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...

, called the 'Potpolder'. Next to The Hazewinkel there is 'Het Broek', a 675ha nature reserve

Nature reserve

A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...

 situated in Heindonk and neighbouring villages Blaasveld and Heffen.

Situated in the metropolitan area

Metropolitan area

The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...

between Brussels and Antwerp it is remote due to its enclosement by the rivers, rowing- and surflakes and nature reserve.

External links

• Windsurfing Club in Heindonk http://www.hazewinkel-windsurfing.be/