Laarbeek

The Mariahoutse Bossen, also called Lieshoutse Bossen or Lieshoutse Heide, is an elongated Dutch forest area of 158 ha, located immediately to the north of Mariahout. The forest, which is owned by the municipality of Laarbeek, is a young heathland forest and consists mainly of plantations of Scots pine, although other tree species, such as beech, can also be found. In the south-west of the area is the Torreven (sometimes also called Torrenven or Torenven). This is an elongated fen that threatened to become silted up and was cleaned up in 1992. The area, which is surrounded by heathland remnants, is now managed in such a way that the edge of the forest is pushed back, which prevents land accretion because the wind has more room to play on the water surface. In the south-east, a small marshy area, the Rietven, connects to the Mariahoutse Bossen. Nowadays, this is an area with birches and oak trees. The area is freely accessible. There are walks, bridle paths and an extensive mountain bike track in the woods.

The Heieindse Loop is part of the Goorloop brook system that originates west of Mariahout and is about 4 km long. It runs along the Mariahoutse Bossen to the east and takes in the Donkervoortse Loop. One kilometre further, north of Beek en Donk, the Heieindse Loop flows into the Goorloop.

The procession park in Mariahout is part of the pilgrimage site that Father van Eijndhoven had built in honour of Our Lady of Lourdes. This park had to lead the solemn procession in the right direction. In the procession park, two statues of Mary and Bernadette can be found. 

The open-air theatre is situated in the middle of the village between the woods. The concrete blocks come from the Welschap airport that was bombed in the Second World War. Pastor van Eijndhoven was a great promoter of amateur theatre. The theatre was also used for ceremonies. The open air theatre was completely restored and expanded in 2012. On 2 June 2012, the theatre was reopened.

The Keelgras is a nature reserve in the Dutch village of Mariahout, which belongs to the municipality of Laarbeek. The area lies a little to the south of the hamlet of Ginderdoor. Keelgras has existed for centuries and was once a swampy area that was much more extensive than it is today. The oldest mention can be found in a document ratified by Duke John II of Brabant on 25 April 1246. In that document, drawn up by Hendrik van Herentals, sheriff of the duke, the boundaries of the area that the duke ceded to the domain of Lieshout are described. In this description, the marsh is mentioned under the name "the Keleghars". The abbey of Floreffe, owner of the domain of Lieshout, was interested in the Keleghars and other marshy areas because it saw an opportunity to reclaim them. For this purpose, the Ginderdoorse loop was dug, which provided drainage. This loop formed the border between the domain and the gemeynt of Lieshout. As a result of the reclamation, the Keleghars became smaller and smaller over the centuries. In 1697, the abbey of Floreffe transferred a number of meadows, including the part of the Keleghars that had been reclaimed, to the inhabitants of Lieshout, who had been using the land for a long time.The unclaimed part of Het Keleghars became municipal property and its name gradually changed to Keelgras. In time, the Keelgras was designated as the site for the municipal landfill. The former landfill was covered and since then planted with deciduous trees. The area is rich in birds. Next to the dump is a small marsh with many reeds. A walk has been marked out along the area which gives access to a viewpoint built on top of the former landfill.