War in the Heath

War in the Heide Wereldoorlog I and II left traces in Kalmthout. At the start of WWI – when Antwerp fell into German hands – a desolate column of refugees sought their way through here to neutral Netherlands. After the return of most of them, a strictly guarded high-voltage wire was stretched between Belgium and the Netherlands, which made free movement impossible for years. De Kalmthoutse Heide was cut through and Essen and Nieuwmoer became a kind of no-man's-land. Only smugglers and ‘passeurs’ still managed to get through the grid, albeit at the risk of their own lives. The guide will teach you how to cross the wire alive. Also during the Second World War, ‘living and surviving’ were the watchwords. The war violence plagued the population with requisitions, terror, and hunger. The guide will show you, among other things, the German road, bomb craters, and the hiding places of spies and resistance fighters. Starting point: Visit Kalmthout Afstand: 4 km