From Noord-Beveland to Walcheren

There is a peninsula in the western part of Zeeland where you can enjoy the vastness of the province while cycling through the landscape. You can see the North Sea, the Western Scheldt and the Veerse Meer. There is a sharp contrast between the openness of the young polders and the bustling towns you visit along the way. You can park your car for free at the starting point in the northern part of Central Zeeland: Noord-Beveland. The former island is connected to the mainland by three dams and a bridge. In the past the island suffered from many floods. 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.