Goes, Wemeldinge and Hansweert

This cycle route of almost forty kilometres takes you through Zuid-Beveland (Zeeland), through a lovely, atmospheric landscape full of winding creeks with rolling banks and beautiful reed beds. In the marshy, rural area you cycle past characteristic farms and through fields and orchards. No wild nature in Zuid-Beveland, but neatly landscaped polders with neat arable land that is used for agriculture and fruit growing. On the peninsula between the Oosterschelde and Westerschelde, the battle against the rising water has been won and the fertile land is gratefully worked. In the third and fourth century, this part of Zeeland did not yet exist and the area was under water, but from the Middle Ages onwards the area was gradually reclaimed and the population that lives there can make an excellent living from agriculture and fishing. In 1530 during the St. Felix flood and in 1570 during the All Saints flood, the water reclaimed a large part of the land, but the most famous flood in Dutch history is undoubtedly the Flood Disaster of 1953. The eastern part of Zuid-Beveland was flooded. The peninsula benefited greatly from the construction of the Delta Works, which made Central Zeeland more accessible to the rest of the Netherlands. The route starts at Profile Goes. Before you set off, you can have your bike checked by the bicycle specialist, so that you are assured that you will not encounter any unpleasant surprises along the way. Upon presentation of the bicycle discount card, you will receive a 10 euro discount on a maintenance service and minor repairs that need to be done to your bike. You have been searching for almost ten kilometers through the polder when two beautiful mills appear. They are close to each other in the village of Wemeldringe. The De Hoop corn mill was built in 1866 by a miller's apprentice who worked at the predecessor of the other mill (Aeolus). The mill was in operation until 1968. After that, plans were made to convert the mill into a home, but these plans were also shelved. Nowadays, the white round stone mill with two pairs of millstones still grinds grain on a voluntary basis. The other mill is the Aeolus, a corn and hulling mill that was built in 1869. This smock mill was the answer to the construction of De Hoop and, in order to surpass this mill, is higher and larger than that mill. The mill therefore has three pairs of millstones and a hulling stone. The rods are the oldest rods that are still in use in the Netherlands and date from 1871. The mill is named after a Greek wind god and it is therefore not difficult to guess that the mill derived its power to turn and grind from this element. Nowadays, the Aeolus is occasionally put into operation by a volunteer miller. After cycling more than seventeen kilometres, you will pass the Fruit Growing Museum in Kapelle, where you can discover the history of fruit and fruit growing. After a visit to the museum, you will head for the last attraction of the tour: the Kloetinge mill. It is a round, brick tower mill that was built in 1704 and is located on a platform. According to Zeeland tradition, it has been painted white. The corn mill was extensively restored in 1979 and 1998.