Stropersbos, Nature area in Stekene and Sint-Gillis-Waas, Belgium.

Stropersbos is a nature area combining woodland, open heathland, and wetland habitats across a large expanse. The mix of different landscapes supports varied plant life and grazing animals that shape how the land looks throughout the seasons.

Until the 12th century Stropersbos belonged to the Koningsforeest, the comital forest of the Counts of Flanders in central Waasland. From the 13th century abbeys received land and cleared it into fields and meadows, leaving only the part around the former castle of the fief Voorhout authentic. In autumn 1584 Alexander Farnese had the Parmavaart dug from here toward Antwerp, and the Spaniards felled most trees for the ship bridge over the Scheldt.

The name does not come from poachers, who were active here, but from the Stroopers or De Strooper family, who held property in the area in the 17th and 18th centuries. The forest is also known simply as De Stropers.

Three marked walking trails guide you through the area, offering different routes at varying difficulty levels for exploration. Wear sturdy footwear as sections cross through wetlands and wooded terrain with changing ground conditions.

The name does not come from poachers, who were active here, but from the Stroopers or De Strooper family, who owned land in the area in the 17th and 18th centuries. The forest was once private property, including of the noble Janssens de Varebeke family, and is now almost entirely bought and maintained by the government.