From Vlissingen to Middelburg

Let the sea breeze blow through your hair while you cycle along the boulevard of Vlissingen. Admire the four ceramic sculptures by Jo Uiterwaal on the outer facades of Vlissingen train station. These are placed with reference to the rail connection and the province of Zeeland. In 2010, the station building received the status of a national monument. This makes it one of the few station buildings designed by Van Ravesteyn that has not yet been demolished.

This route has nice sights that make your trip even more fun. In Biggekerke, for example, you cycle to a beautiful windmill painted white according to Zeeland tradition. Officially, the mill has no name, but it is also called'Brassers Molen\\\', after the family that has owned and operated the mill since 1852. Brassers mill was built in 1712 by order of the city of Vlissingen and functioned as a corn mill. There is a mill shop where all kinds of flour products, but also animal feed and equestrian equipment are sold. What is special is that the mill has been in continuous operation since the moment construction was completed.

About seventeen kilometers further, at the mouth of the former Welzinge canal that gave access to the port of Middelburg, is 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 surviving sea fortress 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 former sea dike in the shape of a diamond. A bastion, with thick walls in which cannons could be placed, was erected, aimed at the Western Scheldt. Half-bastions with cannons were built at the ends of the walls, which were covered with earth in the post-Napoleonic era. A lot of natural stone was used in the construction of the fort, because it was more resistant to salt water, and for defense the fort was given a moat on the inland side. The defensive function was abolished in 1869, but continued to be used as a powder magazine.

Finally, you cycle from the fort to the last point of interest of the route: the Oranjemolen in Vlissingen. This tower mill used to be used as a corn and peeling mill, but in 2013 it only grinds on a voluntary basis. Because of its location you can see the mill from afar. 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 closest windmill to the coastline in the Netherlands and it is the only one of 23 city windmills in Vlissingen that has stood the test of time.