Schans van Schilde

Schans van Schilde is a brick and concrete fortification built between 1909 and 1912 in Schilde, Belgium, as part of the regional defensive system protecting the Turnhoutsebaan road between Fort 's-Gravenwezel and Fort Oelegem. During World War I, it provided supporting fire against German forces until Belgian troops deliberately destroyed it on October 9, 1914, to prevent enemy capture, leaving it unused since that period. Now managed as a recreational walking area and nature reserve by the municipality, the site houses a fishing club utilizing the moat and serves as a designated bat habitat protecting seven overwinter species including the common big-eared bat and Bechstein's bat. Visitors enjoy woodland exploration through the Kempense Hoven walking network and the antitank canal trail system.