Oud-Vossemeer, Poortvliet, Sint-Annaland

Between the Zeeland fields and dikes lies a story that stretches all the way to the heart of American history. In the 17th century, Claes Martenszen van Rosevelt left this area near Oud-Vossemeer and Poortvliet for New Amsterdam, now New York. He’s seen as the forefather of the Roosevelt family, which includes US presidents Theodore and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

The name Rosevelt refers to land already mentioned in 1481. The Van Rosevelt family owned farms and fields here. Cycling through this landscape, you’ll still see traces of that past in the old dikes, fertile polders and historic farmhouses.

In Oud-Vossemeer, the Four Freedoms Monument honours the ideals of Franklin D Roosevelt. In his famous 1941 speech, he spoke of four fundamental freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want and freedom from fear. These values still inspire people around the world.

This route is a unique mix of nature and history. You’ll cycle through land rooted in the story of an influential family, where the spirit of freedom and justice is still alive.