A sunny day in April was a good occasion for a trip to the Liefkenshoek fortress.
My trip started in Kallo,now a part of the municipality of Beveren.
A long time ago this was an agricultural region,no wonder I saw those beautiful horses.
During centuries courageous men toiled to win land from the river or protect themselves against floods.
The fortress is situated on the left bank of the river Scheldt near Antwerp (Belgium)

Across the river is the equivalent:the fortress of Lillo.Both were important in the history of Antwerp.
Today they are in the midst of petrochemical industry and busy container docks.
Unfortunately the fortress is now restored and the scaffholding hindered very much my job.
The fortress was constructed by Antwerp on instructions by William of Orange between 1582-1584.
In 1584 it was conquered by the Spanish army.But on 3 April 1585 the "Staatsen"=Hollanders reconquered it starting from the the fort Lillo on the other bank.Both fortresses stayed in the hands of the Hollanders although Antwerpen was occupied by Spain.
During the next centuries Austria,France,Holland had the fortress in their hands.
Only in 1839 it was were it belonged:Belgium.
Anecdote:in the period that warships had gunpower in barrels on board they discharged the explosives in the fortress in order to prevent explosions in the city of Antwerp.
When the fortress lost his military importance it became a place for desinfection and quarantine in case of contagious diseases .