Wallen van Retranchement, Defense work and nature area in Retranchement, Netherlands
Wallen van Retranchement is a defense work and nature area in Sluis, Netherlands. The site combines historical earthen fortifications with open landscape elements including hawthorn hedges, pollarded trees, ponds, and grassy slopes that form a varied terrain.
These earthen fortifications were built in 1604 as part of the Staats-Spaanse Lines defensive system to protect the Zwin region during the Eighty Years War. The construction represented a major phase of Dutch military engineering during that conflict.
The site shows how military defenses gradually became integrated into village settlement patterns over centuries. Today you can see how the old earthworks frame the rhythm of local life and community spaces.
Access to the site is from the parking area at the Knokkeweg and Kanaalweg intersection with a marked walking trail through the area. The terrain is relatively flat and easy to navigate, making it suitable for leisurely walks throughout the year.
The site supports more than 290 plant species, including four rare clover varieties that thrive on the sunny slopes of the old fortification walls. This plant diversity is directly linked to the historical earthworks, making it notable for nature observation.
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