Opglabeek

To the west of the village is a vast expanse moorland; the Donderslagse Heide, which extends as far as Houthalen. To the north of the village is the Gruitroodse heide (moorland) and to the southwest the Waterscheidse heide (moorland). From the nineteenth century, large parts of this extensive moorland was forested or urbanized.
From the beginning of the 20th century, the expansion of the coal mines Zwartberg and Waterschei were important, but were closed in the late 1960.