Round trip Hellevoetsluis

At the beginning of the seventeenth century, a fortified town was built to strengthen the existing harbour. Hellevoetsluis grew until the nineteenth century because of the importance of the harbour town, but when the harbour of Rotterdam was opened up around 1830 by the construction of a canal, the business in Hellevoetsluis declined. The town suffered a heavy blow during the Second World War, when the Germans demolished a large part of it to improve their field of fire. After the war, a lot of work was done to restore Hellevoetsluis to its old allure. In 1960, the three municipalities of Hellevoetsluis, Nieuw-Helvoet and Nieuwenhoorn were merged into a new, large municipality and in the years that followed, Hellevoetsluis grew. The influences of the harbour are still clearly noticeable. Its commercial importance has declined, but the harbour has acquired a strong recreational value in return. Those who want to escape the hustle and bustle of the built-up area can indulge themselves in the nearby Annabos. Willows, oaks, ash trees and alders grow in this relatively young forest, which was planted in 1980. Birds build their nests in the treetops and whistle the highest song on the branches, while buzzards hunt the smaller mammals and great spotted woodpeckers accompany your bike ride with a pleasant drumming on the tree trunks. At the edge of the forest you look out over a vast meadow. Spoonbills and little egrets know where to find the grassy land, because this is where they look for their food. Fourteen kilometres after you have left the holiday park behind you, you will pass the Hellevoetsluis Resistance Monument, which commemorates two resistance fighters from Nieuwenhoorn who were executed in 1945. Close to the monument you will see the Zeezicht mill. This ground sailer from 1717 can be viewed when it is turning. In 1994, a major restoration took place, during which the mill was dismantled to get a new cap and a new sail. At the beginning of 2013, the mill got a new concrete band around the foundation to strengthen it. In the harbor of Hellevoetsluis lies Lightship 12 Noord-Hinder at anchor. This ship has been converted into a museum ship. In the harbor of the Municipality of Hellevoetsluis, there are also several cozy terraces, where you can linger for a while to look out over the harbor.