Sluis, Oostburg and Aardenburg

Get a breath of fresh air on the beach and enjoy the reclaimed land of Zeeland with this route. You pass through the old fortified town of Sluis, which was created when the Zwin nature reserve started to silt up. As a result, the direct connection with the trading city of Bruges was blocked and Sluis was given the opportunity to flourish further. Sluis became the most important port of Bruges and due to its strategic location, the city, which was granted city rights in 1290, became a fortified city in 1392. Three hundred years, and many battles later, Sluis became less important, but no battle was as devastating as the Allied bombing on October 11, 1944, which reduced Sluis to a smoking mess in which 61 residents died. After the Second World War the city was rebuilt in traditionalist style. The walls have remained intact and the small, cozy, historic center has been restored to its former glory.

In Sluis you can also see the De Brak mill. The round stone mill was built in 1739 as a flour mill. The mill came to a standstill in 1933, but an oil engine provided the drive so that the mill could continue to function. The mill burned down in 1944, but was rebuilt six years later. In 1964, the electric mill that was located there was decommissioned and De Brak was converted into a catering facility.