Zeeland

The delta coast of the southwestern Netherlands, where the historic towns of Middelburg and Veere, the beaches of Domburg and the storm barriers of the Delta Works make for a seaside holiday.

Zeeland province occupies the southwestern corner of the Netherlands. Its name means 'sea land', and it is made up of islands and peninsulas at the mouths of the Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt: Walcheren, North and South Beveland, Schouwen-Duiveland, and Zeelandic Flanders on the south bank of the Western Scheldt, bordering Belgium. More than half the land lies below sea level. After the North Sea flood of 1953, the Delta Works joined the islands together with dams and bridges, and the Oosterschelde storm surge barrier remains a world-famous feat of water engineering. Middelburg, the provincial capital, makes a good base: the abbey, the Lange Jan tower and the town hall in the old town are all within walking distance; 7 km away lies the fairytale harbour town of Veere; Domburg and Zoutelande to the northwest are among the most popular beaches in the Netherlands; and to the south, in Vlissingen, you can watch huge ships heading for Antwerp. Heading north via the Delta dams or the Zeeland Bridge, in about 40 minutes you reach the medieval port of Zierikzee, the Watersnoodmuseum (flood museum) and the kitesurfing hotspot of Brouwersdam; to the east is Yerseke, the mussel capital; and through the Western Scheldt Tunnel you can reach the beaches of Cadzand and the border town of Sluis. The climate is mild and windy: Jun–Sep is beach season, while spring and autumn suit cycling and exploring the old towns; the Zeeland mussel season usually opens in July, and oysters are at their best in autumn and winter. Getting there: Middelburg and Vlissingen are about 2.5 hours by train from Amsterdam, but buses between the beaches and the dam areas are infrequent, so driving or renting a bike (the province has an excellent cycle network) is most convenient. Plan to stay 2–4 days, and book seaside accommodation early in summer.

Top sights

• Middelburg Abbey & Lange Jan – A 12th-century abbey complex that now houses the provincial government of Zeeland, and the 91-metre Lange Jan tower, the emblem of Middelbu…
• Veere – A fairytale harbour town on Veerse Meer, whose medieval Scottish wool trade left behind a Gothic town hall, the Campveerse Tower and a mass…
• Oosterscheldekering – The largest storm surge barrier in the Delta Works, a 9-kilometre barrier with 62 giant gates, hailed as one of the modern world's wonders.
• Domburg Beach – The most popular seaside village on the northwest coast of Walcheren, with a wide beach backed by high dunes, a holiday retreat for aristoc…
• Zierikzee – A medieval harbour town on Schouwen-Duiveland with one of the richest concentrations of historic buildings in the Netherlands, dominated by…
• Middelburg City Hall – A Gothic town hall on the market square, its facade lined with 25 statues of Zeeland's counts, one of the most ornate town halls in the Net…
• Zeeuws Museum – A provincial museum in a former abbey, known for its large 16th-century tapestries and its collection of traditional Zeeland costumes and h…
• Deltapark Neeltje Jans – A theme park on an artificial island atop a storm surge barrier, where you can walk inside the barrier pillars to learn about the Delta Wor…
• Vlissingen Boulevard – One of the few south-facing seafront promenades in the Netherlands, where giant ships bound for Antwerp pass close by on the Westerschelde…
• MuZEEum – Vlissingen's maritime museum, telling the story of Zeeland's people in the Age of Discovery, piracy and naval battles, housed partly in a 1…
• Zoutelande Beach – A seaside village on the southwest coast of Walcheren, with southwest-facing beaches and dunes that make a great sunset spot. It is famous…
• Westkapelle Lighthouse – A lighthouse converted from a medieval church bell tower, standing in the middle of this dike town. From the top you can see the North Sea…
• Watersnoodmuseum – Housed in four concrete caissons that were used to seal the final breach in the 1953 flood, this museum tells the story of the North Sea fl…
• Oosterschelde National Park – The largest national park in the Netherlands. Its tidal bay is home to seals, harbour porpoises and flocks of waterbirds, and it is a top d…
• Zeeland Bridge – A roughly 5 km bridge spanning the Eastern Scheldt bay. It was once the longest bridge in Europe and connects North Beveland with Schouwen-…
• Yerseke – The mussel and oyster capital of the Netherlands. The oyster beds and seafood restaurants by the fishing harbour are a must-visit on any Ze…
• Goes – The central town of South Beveland. Its old harbour canal runs right into the market square, and the Tuesday market and the Gothic cathedra…
• Brouwersdam – A sea dam linking Schouwen-Duiveland with Goeree-Overflakkee. Its north side has a long beach, making it one of the Netherlands' best-known…
• Cadzand-Bad – An upscale seaside resort on the Zeeland Flanders coast, famous for finding fossilized teeth of ancient sharks on its beach.
• Sluis – A walled town right on the Belgian border, home to the only medieval belfry town hall in the Netherlands, ringed by windmills and moats, wi…
• Hulst – A fortress town with its star-shaped city walls fully intact. You can walk the entire circuit of the ramparts, and it is the hometown of th…
• Fort Rammekens – A coastal defense fort completed in 1547, one of the oldest sea forts in Western Europe, surrounded by a nature reserve.
• Veerse Meer – A long, narrow lake formed when the Delta Works dam cut off a bay. Its calm waters are ideal for sailing, kayaking, family splashing and cy…
• Zwin Nature Park – A tidal salt marsh straddling the Dutch-Belgian border. The Belgian-side nature park is famous for storks and migratory birds, and it sits…

Where to eat

• Yerseke Oyster Tasting House – An oyster farm and tasting house on Yerseke harbour, with wooden benches facing the oyster ponds and oysters, mussels a…
• Auberge des Moules – A long-standing mussel restaurant in Philippine, the 'mussel village', cooking Zeeland shellfish from a family recipe a…
• Oesterput 14 Seafood Restaurant – A seafood restaurant in Yerseke recommended by the Michelin Guide, with large windows overlooking the Oosterschelde oys…
• Karel V Restaurant – A small French bistro in a 1555 house with stepped gables by the old harbour of Hulst on the Scheldt, recommended in th…
• Inter Scaldes Manor Restaurant – A Michelin two-star manor restaurant in Kruiningen, where chef Jeroen Achtien blends his Frisian roots, Zeeland produce…

Itineraries

• Zeeland Delta Works Self-Drive Tour – A delta loop heading south from Rotterdam, connecting storm surge barriers, historic harbor towns, and Zeeland beaches.