Along the dunes and the water towards Vlissingen

This route takes you to the two largest port cities on Walcheren: Middelburg and Vlissingen. Within a few centuries, Middelburg grew from a fortress into a flourishing trading city. Until the end of the 16th century it was even the largest merchant city in the then Netherlands, later the port city played an important role within the VOC. The many historic buildings in the center show how well this city fared during the Golden Age. After the rich history of Middelburg, a tour through the green and water-rich polders of Walcheren awaits you. You drive south out of the city, towards Westerschelde. You will soon cycle past a nature reserve that is a direct result of the war at the end of 1944. Through the holes in the dike that arose at that time, enormous masses of water flowed in and out of the area for almost a year. This is how the current creeks were created, where reed warblers, reed buntings and reed warblers now live in the summer. A cormorant colony has also settled here. In the 1950s and 1960s, forest plots were created along the creeks. At the mouth of the former Welzinge canal - which once opened up the port of Middelburg - stands Fort Rammekens, the oldest existing sea fort in Western Europe. Before the construction of the fort, this was a bay where ships moored. Rammekens was built in 1547 to protect and control the busy shipping routes to Antwerp and Middelburg. The fortress was built over the former sea wall in the shape of a diamond. A lot of natural stone was used because it was more resistant to salt water. A bastion was built with thick walls in which cannons could be placed. For defense, the fort was given a moat on the landward side. After 1560, Fort Rammekens was in the hands of the Spanish, French and English, but in 1814 it finally came into Dutch possession. The defensive function was abolished in 1869, but continued to be used as a powder magazine. From the fort you then cycle along the mouth of the Western Scheldt. Of course you drive through the center of Vlissingen. This port city has pleasant boulevards, the Nollestrand and the Badstrand and a beautiful marina that attracts many people. The southern pier is decorated with a wind organ with bamboo pipes, the notes of which are carried by the air when the wind blows strongly and thus plays the instrument. In the center you will find approximately three hundred monuments, which make Vlissingen the 30th monument city in the Netherlands. One of these monuments is the Oranjemolen. This mill was previously used as a grist and husking mill, but nowadays only grinds on a voluntary basis. The exact year of construction of this historical heritage is not known, but the mill was mentioned in a document at least in 1699. This mill is closest to the Dutch coastline, in Vlissingen it is the only one of 23 city mills that has stood the test of time. For a drink you can go to Zand Paviljoen Pier 7. After Vlissingen you drive through the dunes to Dishoek, after which you turn towards the vast polders. Just past Koudekerke you pass De Lelie. This tower mill was installed in 1872 as a successor to a burned-down predecessor. In Middelburg you can cycle past the former windmill De Hoop from 1721. The mill caught fire in 1943 because the catch had overheated. Since then, only the hull has remained standing. Because much of the inventory is still intact, there are serious plans to restore the mill.