Tour of Linieput and Groote Gat

Your route starts at Hotel Restaurant De Eenhoorn in Oostburg. You will pass the Groote Gat, a beautiful nature reserve. This creek was once part of a larger creek system that was connected to Het Zwin. It is a remnant of the Brugsche vaart, which was dug in the early 1500s to prevent the silting up of the Zwin. In the Eighty Years' War it was part of the Oostburg Line. The water formed the border between the Spanish and the Dutch troops, with fortifications on both sides of the Groote Gat. The nature here is very special. Colonies of bryozoans in the water grow into a kind of coral. The reeds are a breeding ground for birds such as the bluethroat, water rail and the bearded tit.