Top 20 Natural Monuments around Brasschaat

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.

After having to sprint through the berms and switchbacks, this section allows you to rest

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.

Peerdsbos through the ages... The name 'Peertsbusch' first appeared in an account from 1431 - 1432. The Peerdsbos was part of the Bremdonck domain, which consisted of fields, meadows and forest for timber and firewood and which was donated to the Antwerp Saint-Elisabeth Hospital by Isabella van Breda in 1280. Large parts of the domain were sold and parcelled out, which resulted in the creation of the Park of Brasschaat, among other things. Info, can be read at the Schoten domain entrance

The Peerdsbos is one of the most visited forests on the outskirts of Antwerp. The forest is a fun day trip for both families and nature lovers. The long straight avenues make walking with a buggy or wheelchair easy. In the middle of the forest you will find brasserie De Melkerij, where you can rest for a while while children romp in the adjacent playground or play a game of mini golf. On the edge of the forest there is the challenging Stoerwoud in the provincial sports center. More information on https://www.natuurenbos.be/peerdsbos

The Putse Moer is a swampy area northeast of Putte and west of Kalmthout, which is partly on Dutch and partly on Belgian territory.