On the eve of World War II, the Belgian army was fully prepared: a 33-kilometre-long trench and a ring of forts and bunkers would surely stop the German tanks and protect Antwerp. The Antitank trench runs from Berendracht to Oelegem; from the Scheldt to the Albert Canal. Impressive, but did it stop any tanks? Not even once... But the Antitank trench has proved to be far from a useless structure! Nature took over from the soldiers, with teeming aquatic life and unusual flora occupying it. The bunkers and forts also got new occupants. Hundreds of bats use Fort Oelegem as their winter shelter. Information boards on your path tell you more about the history of the Antitank trench, the surrounding landscape and the nature.
