Meersel-Dreef was originally two villages, Meersel and Dreef. They have been inhabited since at least the Middle Ages. The two villages grew together over time around the
Capuchin monastery, which was built in 1687 near the
river Mark. It was founded by
Jan de Wyse, a wealthy merchant from
Breda, on land donated by Maria Gabriella de Lalaing, Countess of Hoogstraten. In 1223 there was already a chapel in Meersel. In 1421 a new chapel was built by the lord of Hoogstraten. This chapel, St. Lucia Chapel, was inaugurated on April 28 of that year and served as an auxiliary chapel for the Church of Meerle. The chapel remains is a popular pilgrimage site. It was restored in 1935 and again in 1982, and was classified as a protected monument in 1953. == Geography ==