Kortgene, Kats and Colijnsplaat

Explore the northern part of Central Zeeland and cycle along the Katse Plaat, a beautiful tidal area outside the dike where you can breathe in the salty sea air and get a breath of fresh air by the water. Coastal birds use the sandbank, which is threatened by the sand hunger of the Oosterschelde, to look for food and to rest on. The avocet, for example, which trips through the mud on its stilts, but also terns, cormorants and plovers skim over the water here. The Katse Plaat is part of the Oosterschelde National Park, which covers a total of 370 hectares, where porpoises and seals are also regularly seen. The former island of Noord-Beveland is connected to the mainland by three dams and a bridge. Centuries ago, there was a temple near Colijnsplaat dedicated to the Celtic-Germanic patron goddess of fishermen and sailors: Nehalennia. At the end of the third century, people left the area due to German invasions, but also because the area was constantly flooded. After a major storm surge, the first dikes were constructed in 1014. Mounds were also raised. After another storm surge in 1134, the whole of Noord-Beveland was diked, but to no avail: in 1134 stormy winds pushed the water so high that the entire island was flooded. The villages of Colijnsplaat and Kats were built in 1598 and Wissenkerke was also created in the following century. After that, the reclamation went quickly: in 1684, the whole of Noord-Beveland was reclaimed. During the Flood Disaster (1953), what is known as 'the miracle of Colijnsplaat' took place: a dike breach was narrowly prevented here.