쇼텐‬에서 가장 멋진 ‪20‬개의 천연기념물

Protected cycle path (gravel). Essentially a straight line from Oelegem to Sint Job in 't Goor (connecting with the Schoten Canal). Despite its straightness, it's not endless and offers plenty of variety.

It is indeed beautiful to walk and cycle along the anti-tank ditch. And hereby: it is a ditch and not a canal. I am lucky to be able to enjoy it every day because I live along the anti-tank ditch (in Sint Job in't Goor)

It is very quiet here to walk. Just enjoy the green surroundings,

The name "Vrieselhof" goes back to Jan van Vriesele, a nobleman from Kontich who bought approximately 24 hectares of land in Oelegem around 1300 (approximately 32 hectares). In 1975, a year after the sale to the province of Antwerp, the domain was opened to hikers. From 1977 to 1999 the "Provincial Textile and Costume Museum" was located in the Vrieselhof. Due to a lack of resources, only a limited part of the collection could be exhibited. In 2002, the museum moved to Antwerp and was named Fashion Museum Antwerp. In 2003, the Provincial Library Center settled in the castle, together with administrative services. In 2011, a "library of Flemish classics" was opened within the Provincial Library Center. Works by classical Flemish writers are collected and loaned out here. In 2014, the Antwerp provincial council decided to restructure the culture department. The library center would be merged with the Cultural Dissemination and Arts Service into a new Libraries and Arts Service. In 2015, the Provincial Library Center moved to Antwerp, but the collection of Flemish classics remained in the Vrieselhof.

Historical interpretation: The anti-tank ditch is a 33 km long defensive ditch northeast of Antwerp, between the Scheldt and the Albert Canal. The canal was constructed between 1938 and 1940 as part of the Antwerp fortress. In the 1930s, the Belgian army reoriented the fortress into a defense for infantry (support points) and machine gun companies. The military added the anti-tank ditch and bunker lines (KW line) to the existing defense by forts and redoubts. The aim was to stop tanks. That is why the anti-tank ditch had to have a slope, depth and width that a tank of that time could not exceed: a bottom of at least six meters width a width of 18m at the water surface a depth of at least three meters a minimum water level of two meters slopes of 45° Originally, the Antitankgracht was going to be a dry canal, but because it filled up with water, it was forced to be converted into a wet canal. The route had to bridge a height difference of approximately 3 to 18.5 m (DTM). That is why it was divided into about 45 sections with locks. A slide in the lock regulated the water flow and thus maintained the level. The water came partly from seepage water or local streams and partly from the Maas, supplied via the Dessel-Schoten canal. Because control over water levels was so important, each lock was defended by a bunker. The bunkers at the Antitankgracht consist of lock bunkers with flanking daughter bunkers and flanking bunkers. The lock bunkers are elongated free-standing bunkers with a large blank wall, camouflaged by 'eggs' and were usually equipped for two machine guns.

The Peerdsbos is a nature reserve in Schoten north of Antwerp. The name Peerdsbos first appeared in 1434 as “Peertsbusch”. The name is derived from the Middle Dutch 'Pertse' which means border post. For centuries, the Laarse Beek flowing past formed the border between the Roman provinces of Belgica Secunda and Germania Inferior and the dioceses of Cambrai and Liège that later emerged from this.

The Antitankgracht was constructed just before the Second World War to stop German tanks. Fortunately, that is no longer necessary today, but it does provide us with a nice location to cycle through.

The Antwerp Antitankgracht is an artificial waterway that forms a large quarter circle (from north to east) around the city of Antwerp. The moat has a length of about 33 km and is at least 6 meters wide. It connects the Scheldt near Berendrecht with the Albert Canal in Oelegem. The canal was constructed between 1937 and 1939 with the intention of stopping enemy (German) tanks and other rolling stock before they could reach Antwerp. The anti-tank ditch played no significant role in the Eighteen Days Campaign. In the meantime, the Antitankgracht has evolved into a large nature connecting area, which connects various nature reserves and forests and enables the migration of animals and plants between those areas.