Lillo - Potpolder

Lillo - Potpolder is a little-known nature area tucked away southeast of the former village of Lillo, right in the middle of the Port of Antwerp. Despite being surrounded by heavy industrial infrastructure, this patch of reclaimed tidal land has become a surprising haven for wildlife and a quiet destination for local walkers and cyclists.

Where did this polder pocket come from?

The site's story begins with a dike breach during the Dutch occupation of Lillo, which flooded the low-lying ground and gave the area its "potpolder" character. Over the following centuries the land was repeatedly reshaped as the Port of Antwerp expanded around it. During the construction of the Liefkenshoek Tunnel, the potpolder was even used as a temporary sand depot, storing material dredged from the Scheldt — for years the site looked more like an industrial stockyard than a nature reserve.

How was it restored?

The turning point came with the Sigma Plan, Flanders' large-scale programme for flood protection and the restoration of natural tidal floodplains along the Scheldt. Between mid-2010 and the end of 2012 the site underwent a thorough transformation: the stockpiled sand was excavated down to roughly 4 metres above reference level (TAW), and the recovered material was used to build a ring dike raised to Sigma-plan safety standards. In September 2012, several breaches were cut into the old Scheldt-facing dike, allowing river water to flow freely in and out of the area again under tidal influence.

What has the tidal water created?

Letting the Scheldt back in triggered natural processes almost immediately: mudflats and salt marshes formed, and small tidal creeks began carving their way through parts of the terrain. This new tidal habitat quickly attracted waterbirds and other wetland species, which now rely on the site's rhythm of flooding and draining for feeding and shelter.

How can visitors explore it?

A service road running along the crest of the ring dike is open to walkers and cyclists, offering sweeping views over the tidal flats with the port's industrial skyline as a backdrop. A separate walking path runs parallel to the dike and leads out onto a small peninsula in the middle of the de-poldered zone — one of the best spots to watch waterbirds foraging on the exposed mudflats at low tide.

Frequently asked questions

Is Lillo - Potpolder a protected nature reserve? It's a nature area created through deliberate tidal restoration under the Sigma Plan rather than a strictly closed-off reserve — visitors can explore it on foot or by bike along marked routes.

Why is it called a "potpolder"? The name refers to the site's history as a low-lying, flood-prone polder created after a dike breach, in contrast to the higher-lying land around it.

What is there to see on site? The main draw is the tidal landscape itself — mudflats, salt marshes and small creeks that draw in waterbirds and other wetland wildlife, offering a rare glimpse of nature right inside a working port.

How do you get to the Potpolder? Access is via a service road running along the top of the ring dike, plus a parallel walking path that leads out to the peninsula at the centre of the restored tidal area.