A top location for those who want to enjoy their rest in a peaceful environment. Know that you can make an appointment with history here. Throughout the centuries, water has always been a partner or opponent of man.
Here is a foretaste of historical facts.
Originally, there was a cover sand ridge here, but from around the 12th century, peat was dug up, which served as fuel for the developing cities. Later, agriculture was practiced here.
The Eighty Years' War in particular led to military inundations, for which dikes and sand ridges were cut through. This is how a tidal channel developed. Due to the excavation of the peat, this area was also relatively low.
At the end of the 16th century, the government of the Spanish Netherlands constructed a line and they also built fortifications, of which Fort Francipani can still be seen.
During the Twelve Years' Truce (1609-1621), the reclamation of the lost land began. The Overslagdijk was constructed. After the Peace of Münster (1648), the area was finally reclaimed and the Overslagpolder and the Moerbekepolder were created. In 1682, the Moerbekepolder was hit by another flood. In 1691, the Papdijk was completed, which was supposed to shield the area to the south. The Moerbekepolder was not finally reclaimed until 1699. In 1767, the northern part, the Moerspuipolder, was reclaimed by order of the Ter Hage Abbey.
In later years, such as in 1830, the polders were still flooded for military reasons.
Source Wikipedia