Cycling through Zeeland Flanders

Zeelandic Flanders is known for its conviviality and love of good food. This is not surprising, as you are cycling through a region that is strongly connected to Flanders. Thanks to the Flemish accent of the locals, it almost feels as if you are cycling in Belgium itself.

Braakmanpolder
The route takes you for a few kilometers through the north of the Flemish Meetjesland. Many streams flow through this open polder landscape. Past the village of Boekhoute, you cross the border again. In the vast landscape, you pass through several hamlets before entering the Braakmanpolder. What was once a sea arm has become a nature reserve since 1952, featuring a large dammed creek, flower-rich meadows, and deciduous forests. A beautiful spot of Dutch cultural history.

Centuries-old polders
In the village of Hoek, you pass the Windlust, a grain mill dating from 1857. South of Philipinne, you drive through the vast meadows of the centuries-old Sint-Pieterspolder and Groote or Oude Sint-Albertpolder. Here you will find blissful tranquility. The route ends in the charming Sas van Gent, a former fortified town.

Historic Sas van Gent
Got some time to spare after cycling? Or are you staying at Hotel Royal? Then take a stroll through beautiful Sas van Gent, a former fortified town. This charming town on the Belgian border has a long history. For example, Sas van Gent was fiercely fought over during the Eighty Years' War. The Second World War also left its mark here. At the Generaliteit bastion, for instance, you will pass the remains of a grain mill from 1828. This mill was heavily damaged during the Second World War. A little further on, you will come across the Industrial Museum, where you can view parts of former factories in Sas van Gent. Many pieces of equipment from sugar factories, weaving mills, and glass factories are on display here. The Church of the Assumption of Mary on the Market Square is a national monument dating from 1892.