Scheldt

On the Scheldedijk, Danny tells us how the polder was created. "In the 1960s, the Antwerp Ring was constructed, along with the Kennedy Tunnel. All that excavated sand had to go somewhere. Because there were plans to build a residential area and industrial zone in the polder, that sand was brought here. Part became industrial, but nature was given free rein on 170 hectares." However, industry is never far away. "In the distance, you can still see a chimney from a former boiler house in Petroleum-Zuid. At the end of the 19th century, the city council wanted to create the first European petroleum port here, together with American investors. During the interwar period, the industry reached its peak and an additional pier was built for ships." If you look closely, you will come across remnants of that past along the way: white ceramic balls that you can still see lying on the bottom of the polder. "They were used to purify gasoline extracted from petroleum." Since 1998, this area has been protected as a nature reserve and is the largest green lung near Antwerp. The manager is Natuurpunt, which can rely on many volunteers.

GVA - Gazet van Antwerpen