Vlissingen, Zoutelande and Westkapelle

Vlissingen is a beautiful city with a maritime character and one of the protected townscapes and villages in the province of Zeeland. Lovely beaches (the Nollestrand and the Badstrand), pleasant boulevards and a magnificent marina that many people will be amazed by. The southern pier is adorned with a wind organ with bamboo pipes, the tones of which are carried through the air when the wind blows strongly and thus plays the instrument. In the centre you will find approximately three hundred monuments, which make Vlissingen the 30th monument city in the Netherlands. Westkapelle has a completely different, much smaller-scale atmosphere and a history that is closely related to the Second World War. The village was badly hit by a bombardment and was almost completely wiped off the map. In 2013, there is still a creek in Westkapelle, which was created as a result of the bombardment. A clear reminder of the war and the liberation is the Sherman tank that still looks out over the water on the dike. Close to the lighthouse 'Hoge Licht', for which Westkapelle is known, are also the graves of the war victims. From the starting point, it is a little less than two kilometers by bike to the first attraction of the route: the Oranjemolen in Vlissingen. This tower mill used to be set up as a corn and hulling mill, but in 2013 it only grinds on a voluntary basis. Due to its location, you can see the mill from far away. The exact year of construction of the historical heritage is not known, but because the mill was already mentioned in writing in 1699, it must be even older than that. The Oranjemolen is the mill that is closest to the coastline in the Netherlands and it is the only one of 23 city mills in Vlissingen that has withstood the test of time. Then you cycle on to the mill in Zoutelande. You can't help but smell the salty sea air along the way. The mill from 1722 looms on the horizon as you approach the village. The mill of Zoutelande was built after its predecessor had blown over. The ground sailer still grinds grain, but now does so with a miller who works on a voluntary basis. Continue your journey along the sea and set course for the Low lighthouse of Westkapelle (Noorderhoofd). The red lighthouse was built in 1875 and is 11.5 meters high. Because Westkapelle has two lighthouses and the other one sends a higher light signal, it is called the "Westkapelle Low". The four-storey lighthouse looks simple, but is a beautiful object. A little less than five kilometers further on in Meliskerke is the Meliskerkse mill. This round, stone ground sailer dates from 1801. The corn mill was built at the time to replace a post mill that had blown over during a heavy storm. Until 1954, the mill ground grain, but then it fell into disrepair until it was restored in 1987. Anyone who is curious about how the mill works can visit it on Saturdays. Nature lovers will be amazed by the Ter Hooge estate. The estate, which covers approximately 25 hectares, largely consists of a park and forest area. The park is mainly laid out in the English landscape style: extensive lawns and fairytale-like water features were designed here after the Second World War. The park stretches out around a magnificent castle. Two slender, octagonal staircase towers rise high above the estate. A first castle was built here in the Middle Ages, but the current complex was built in 1755 on the foundations of the old castle. About ten kilometres further on, at the mouth of the former Welzinge canal that gave access to the port of Middelburg, stands Fort Rammekens. The fort used to be called Zeeburg and in 1496 it was not yet a fort, but a bay where ships moored. It is the oldest, still existing sea fort in Western Europe. Fort Rammekens was built in 1547 to protect and control the busy shipping routes to Antwerp and Middelburg. The fortress was built over the then sea dike in the shape of a diamond. A bastion with thick walls in which cannons could be placed was built, which was aimed at the Western Scheldt. At the end of the walls, half bastions with cannons were built, which were given an earthen cover in the time after Napoleon. During the construction of the fort, a lot of natural stone was used, because it was more resistant to salt water and for defense the fort was given a moat on the inland side. After 1560, Fort Rammekens was in the hands of the Spanish, the French and the English, but in 1814 it became definitive Dutch possession again. The defensive function was abolished in 1869, but it remained in use as a gunpowder magazine.