The province of Zeeland has endured many calamities over the centuries. The southwestern part of the Netherlands regularly faced storm surges. For the first time in the year 838, 2437 victims of a disaster were written about when the water was as high as the tops of the dunes. On 28 September 1014, thousands died as a result of a flood disaster. And in 1404 and 1421, the First and Second St Elizabeth Floods took place respectively, an extremely high storm surge in which not only thousands of lives were lost but dozens of villages were also lost to the sea. The Saint Felix Flood followed in 1530 and the All Saints' Flood in 1570. Despite All Saints' Flood being predicted, more than 20,000 people die during this flood disaster and another four villages disappear into the sea. Severe storm surges take place in 1906 and 1916, which are surpassed by the well-known flood disaster in 1953. The latter disaster prompted the construction of a storm surge barrier in the form of the Delta Works. The landscape in Zeeland was changed considerably by all those storm tides, and almost 200 villages and a single town were completely absorbed by the sea in the process. On this route through Oosterschelde National Park, along the coast of Schouwen-Duiveland and Noord-Beveland, you pass about 20 of these former villages, of which usually little has been found. A number of villages have a window that allows you to see what it must have looked like in the past. With this route, you pass the window of Koudekerke and of Westenschouwe. The construction of the Delta Works, which was completed in 1986, changed the landscape a lot more and created a unique ecosystem with flora and fauna special to the Netherlands. So don't forget to enjoy it when cycling through Oosterschelde National Park, despite the poignant events that took place there. More information can be found at the information centre Neeltje Jans and along the route, you will come across the Verdronken Dorpen (Drowned Villages Monument) as well as information boards. The names of almost all drowned villages can be found there. Archaeological finds from the lost villages can be found in the Watersnoodmuseum. The latter is not on the route but you will want to visit it after cycling this impressive route.
Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
Start: Visserijweg , 4486 CW Noord-Beveland | 56.7 KM | ||
From
39
to
30
|
1497 M | 1.5 KM | |
Head south on Jachthavenweg | 47 M | ||
Make a slight right onto Havenstraat | 146 M | ||
Turn right to stay on Havenstraat | 251 M | ||
Turn left onto Havelaarstraat | 117 M | ||
Turn right onto Ringweg | 263 M | ||
Turn left onto Meidoornstraat | 122 M | ||
Turn right onto Rozenstraat | 211 M | ||
Turn left onto W.J. Klein Wassinkstraat | 48 M | ||
Continue onto Fietspad Mol-Tol | 221 M | ||
Turn right onto Molenweg | 71 M | ||
You are now at section 30 | 0 M | ||
From
30
to
31
|
707 M | 0.7 KM | |
Head southeast on Fietspad Mol-Tol | 707 M | ||
You are now at section 31 | 0 M | ||
From
31
to
7
|
8268 M | 8.3 KM | |
Head northeast on Parallelweg | 549 M | ||
Keep right onto 1e Deltaweg | 5.4 KM | ||
Continue straight | 257 M | ||
Continue onto Straalweg | 846 M | ||
Turn left to stay on Straalweg | 993 M | ||
Turn left onto 's Heer Lauwendorp | 178 M | ||
You are now at section 07 | 0 M | ||
From
7
to
8
|
592 M | 0.6 KM | |
Head northwest on 's Heer Lauwendorp | 73 M | ||
Turn left onto Nieuwe Haven | 519 M | ||
You are now at section 08 | 0 M | ||
From
8
to
89
|
10352 M | 10.4 KM | |
Head south on 't Luitje | 2.6 KM | ||
Turn right | 6.2 KM | ||
Turn right | 79 M | ||
Make a sharp left onto Boogerdweg | 278 M | ||
Make a slight right onto Inlaagweg | 1.2 KM | ||
You are now at section 89 | 0 M | ||
From
89
to
81
|
2738 M | 2.7 KM | |
Head northwest on Inlaagweg | 1 KM | ||
Turn left | 78 M | ||
Make a sharp right | 1.6 KM | ||
You are now at section 81 | 0 M | ||
From
81
to
71
|
5157 M | 5.2 KM | |
Head west on Haven Serooskerke | 32 M | ||
Make a slight right | 156 M | ||
Continue straight | 1.6 KM | ||
Turn left onto Stolpweg | 3.3 KM | ||
You are now at section 71 | 0 M | ||
From
71
to
70
|
3308 M | 3.3 KM | |
Head southeast on Havenplateau | 168 M | ||
Turn right | 1.5 KM | ||
Make a slight right | 161 M | ||
Turn right | 115 M | ||
Turn left onto Cauersweg | 104 M | ||
Turn left onto Westerseweg | 701 M | ||
Turn left onto Hoogh Plaetweg | 579 M | ||
You are now at section 70 | 0 M | ||
From
70
to
4
|
8644 M | 8.6 KM | |
Head south on Hoogh Plaetweg | 313 M | ||
Make a slight right | 34 M | ||
Make a slight right onto Hoogh Plaetweg | 6 KM | ||
Turn right to stay on Hoogh Plaetweg | 2 KM | ||
Make a slight right | 36 M | ||
Make a slight right onto Hoogh Plaetweg | 209 M | ||
You are now at section 04 | 0 M | ||
From
4
to
5
|
1187 M | 1.2 KM | |
Head southwest on Hoogh Plaetweg | 364 M | ||
Turn left onto Jacobaweg | 823 M | ||
You are now at section 05 | 0 M | ||
From
5
to
13
|
6534 M | 6.5 KM | |
Head northeast on Strandhoekweg | 623 M | ||
Turn left to stay on Strandhoekweg | 70 M | ||
Make a slight right | 972 M | ||
Turn left | 12 M | ||
Turn right | 68 M | ||
Continue onto Ostrea | 128 M | ||
Make a slight right onto Sophiaboulevard | 314 M | ||
Turn left to stay on Sophiaboulevard | 525 M | ||
Turn right onto Roompot Beach Resort | 156 M | ||
Turn left | 12 M | ||
Turn left | 960 M | ||
Make a sharp left | 1.5 KM | ||
Turn left | 746 M | ||
Keep right at the fork | 88 M | ||
Turn right onto Keihoogteweg | 172 M | ||
Make a U-turn and continue on Keihoogteweg | 163 M | ||
You are now at section 13 | 0 M | ||
From
13
to
22
|
3722 M | 3.7 KM | |
Head southwest on Keihoogteweg | 163 M | ||
Make a U-turn and continue on Keihoogteweg | 172 M | ||
Turn right | 3.1 KM | ||
Turn right onto Emelissedijk | 161 M | ||
Turn left to stay on Emelissedijk | 175 M | ||
You are now at section 22 | 0 M | ||
From
22
to
39
|
3991 M | 4 KM | |
Head east on De Verlaetweg | 974 M | ||
Turn left onto Wantesweg | 845 M | ||
Keep left onto West-Zeedijk | 314 M | ||
Turn left onto Kuupjesweg | 1.5 KM | ||
Make a slight left onto Jachthavenweg | 181 M | ||
Turn right to stay on Jachthavenweg | 149 M | ||
You are now at section 39 | 0 M |