Download GPX file for this article
51.491643.78891Full screen dynamic map

From Wikivoyage
Jump to navigation Jump to search

For other places with the same name, see Zealand (disambiguation).

Zeeland is a province of the Netherlands consisting of islands and peninsulas interconnected by the dams and bridges of the Delta Works (Deltawerken). Translated into English, Zeeland literally means "Sea Land" because that's basically what it is. The capital city is Middelburg. The area is very flat making it ideal terrain for cycling.

Cities

Map of Zeeland

Zeeland is located on several islands, peninsulas and coastline land masses surrounding the massive delta of the confluence of the rivers Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt. The island of Walcheren is the heart of the region.

  • Middelburg — the capital city of Zeeland with a historic heritage
  • Goes — old city on the peninsula Zuid-Beveland
  • Sluis — cute little city close to the border with Belgium
  • Terneuzen — a seaport in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen
  • Tholen — the double peninsula of Tholen
  • Vlissingen — port town with windy beaches, cycling opportunities and seafood
  • Veere — very attractive village on the edge of the Veerse Meer
  • Westkapelle
  • Zierikzee — A relatively small historic town with many protected monuments.

Other destinations

  • Delta Works — the dams and sluices that protect the land masses of Zeeland

Understand

Zeeland was subject to heavy flooding in 1953 during a north-wester storm at springtide. The Dutch government instituted the Delta Works to protect the province. The entire system of dams, dikes and bridges is present throughout the province and all the way up to Rotterdam in South Holland.

The country of New Zealand is named after the province.

Get in

By car

Zeeland is in the south-west of the country. While all the islands are interconnected and connected to the mainland by fast roads now, the province still retains a somewhat insular nature. On summer days major roads may become busy since there are no good alternatives for them.

By train

Zeeland has only one railway line, extending from Bergen op Zoom and Roosendaal in North Brabant to Middelburg and Vlissingen. There is only one train service on this line, the Intercity 2600 that connects the abovementioned stations directly to the Schiphol Airport, and the most important destinations in South Holland, North Holland and Flevoland, i.a., Rotterdam, Delft, the Hague, Leiden, Amsterdam, Almere and Lelystad. The Intercity runs every half an hour.

By air

Zeeland has no airports with scheduled passenger service. The easiest way to arrive in Zeeland by air is by landing at Schiphol Airport and taking the abovementioned Intercity train. An alternative is Rotterdam the Hague airport, which has a more indirect connection to the said railway line.

You can also approach Zeeland from Belgium. Antwerp is right next to Zeeland's southern region of Zeeuws-Vlanderen, but its small airport sees very limited passenger service. The Brussels Airport has many more connections, but no direct public transit options to Zeeland.

Private aviation pilots may try landing at the Midden-Zeeland Airport in Middelburg, which has a single grass runway of 1 km.

Get around

By bicycle

As almost everywhere in The Netherlands exploring on bike is a good idea. There is an excellent infrastructure of cycle paths. Signed bicycle routes along points (Dutch: Knooppuntennetwerk) allow you to set up your own route through the beautiful landscape.

By bus

Connexxion operates a good bus network in most of the province, although some services are reduced in terms of frequency or routes in the weekend and late nights.

Veolia operates the bus network on Zeeuws-Vlaanderen.

By ferry

A fast ferry for pedestrian and cyclist only is being operated by Veolia between Vlissingen and Breskens.

By train

NS, the national railway, provide frequent connections between Vlissingen, Middelburg, Goes and some smaller towns.

See

  • The Oosterschelde storm surge barrier, a massive operable sea dam with an artificial island at its center.
  • When you're really interested in this Oosterscheldekering you can visit Neeltje Jans. This is an attraction where you learn everything about water and the Delta Works (Deltawerken).
  • Veerse Meer -This is a lake or inland lagoon that was closed off to the sea in 1961. See [1].

Do

Eat

Drink

Go next

This region travel guide to Zeeland is an outline and may need more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. If there are Cities and Other destinations listed, they may not all be at usable status or there may not be a valid regional structure and a "Get in" section describing all of the typical ways to get here. Please plunge forward and help it grow!