Cycle route along coast and shores on Tholen
Tholen, Stavenisse, Sint-Annaland
Where Tholen today forms one large island, until the 13th century it consisted of five smaller islands. Through human intervention - impolderings, dikes and dammings - these islands gradually grew together. The struggle against the water however was never far away. Especially in the 16th century Tholen was faced with severe floods. With new impolderings the inhabitants managed time and again to reclaim the land from the sea, although that was often temporary. During the Second World War the water returned again, this time deliberately. Large parts of Zeeland, including Tholen, were inundated as a military measure. Putting the land under water was meant to hinder advancing troops, but had disastrous consequences for agriculture. The salty sea water made the soil unusable for years. Despite fierce protests from farmers, the inundation continued. In October 1944 the Royal Air Force bombarded the dikes of Walcheren, which elsewhere in Zeeland again released large masses of water. Hardly recovered from this war misery Zeeland was struck in 1953 by the Flood Disaster. Especially Stavenisse, on the west side of Tholen, was severely hit. Over a length of almost two kilometres the dikes broke through. In the night of 1 February 156 inhabitants lost their lives and countless people became homeless. This disaster formed the direct reason for the Delta Works, which put an end to the continual threat of the sea. At least, for now. A rising sea level makes clear that vigilance remains necessary in the low lying delta area of the Netherlands. As rough as the past of Tholen sometimes was, so calm and peaceful the island appears today. Along the water it is pleasant to stay and in various places beaches can even be found. Stavenisse has a beach behind the harbour, Sint Maartensdijk a child friendly small beach of about 150 metres long, and also near Sint Annaland there is a clean and accessible beach. Do however stay within the enclosures, because the current in the Oosterschelde can be treacherous.
| Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
|
Start: Poesdreef , 4696 RD Tholen | 50.6 KM | |
|
From
14
to
19
|
6316 M | 6.3 KM | |
| Head southwest on Poesdreef | 1 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Nieuweweg | 1.5 KM | ||
| Make a slight left onto Derde Dijk | 518 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Hogeweg | 3.2 KM | ||
| You are now at section 19 | 0 M | ||
|
From
19
to
84
|
2421 M | 2.4 KM | |
| Head southwest on Kastelijnsweg | 823 M | ||
| Turn right | 83 M | ||
| Turn left | 1.4 KM | ||
| Keep left at the fork | 81 M | ||
| Turn left | 4 M | ||
| You are now at section 84 | 0 M | ||
|
From
84
to
11
|
530 M | 0.5 KM | |
| Head southeast | 4 M | ||
| Continue onto Galgepad | 174 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 352 M | ||
| You are now at section 11 | 0 M | ||
|
From
11
to
10
|
484 M | 0.5 KM | |
| Head south on Gorishoeksedijk | 17 M | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Gorishoeksedijk | 467 M | ||
| You are now at section 10 | 0 M | ||
|
From
10
to
20
|
4609 M | 4.6 KM | |
| Head southeast on Gorishoeksedijk | 56 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 4.6 KM | ||
| You are now at section 20 | 0 M | ||
|
From
20
to
25
|
1922 M | 1.9 KM | |
| Head southeast on Buitendijks traject | 1.4 KM | ||
| Make a slight right | 282 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 215 M | ||
| You are now at section 25 | 0 M | ||
|
From
25
to
40
|
1821 M | 1.8 KM | |
| Head east | 537 M | ||
| Turn right | 11 M | ||
| Turn left | 50 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 737 M | ||
| Keep right at the fork | 466 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 9 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 11 M | ||
| You are now at section 40 | 0 M | ||
|
From
40
to
38
|
1750 M | 1.8 KM | |
| Head north on Oesterdam | 253 M | ||
| Turn right onto Cruyshoekweg | 420 M | ||
| Turn right onto Ceresweg | 1.1 KM | ||
| You are now at section 38 | 0 M | ||
|
From
38
to
37
|
2930 M | 2.9 KM | |
| Head north on Oudelandsedijk | 1.9 KM | ||
| Turn right | 674 M | ||
| Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit | 16 M | ||
| Exit the roundabout | 183 M | ||
| Turn right onto Molensingel | 188 M | ||
| You are now at section 37 | 0 M | ||
|
From
37
to
36
|
365 M | 0.4 KM | |
| Head northeast on Oudelandsepoort | 94 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Oudelandsepoort | 105 M | ||
| Continue left onto Oudelandsestraat | 166 M | ||
| You are now at section 36 | 0 M | ||
|
From
36
to
33
|
2184 M | 2.2 KM | |
| Head north on Markt | 22 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Molenvlietsestraat | 404 M | ||
| Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Molenvlietsedijk | 27 M | ||
| Exit the roundabout onto Molenvlietsedijk | 165 M | ||
| Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Molenvlietsedijk | 20 M | ||
| Exit the roundabout onto Molenvlietsedijk | 827 M | ||
| Continue straight | 32 M | ||
| Continue onto Groeneweg | 687 M | ||
| You are now at section 33 | 0 M | ||
|
From
33
to
35
|
3863 M | 3.9 KM | |
| Head northeast on Groeneweg | 1.2 KM | ||
| Turn left | 196 M | ||
| Turn right onto Leguitseweg | 272 M | ||
| Turn left onto Leguitsedijk | 1.5 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Vogelsangsedijk | 677 M | ||
| You are now at section 35 | 0 M | ||
|
From
35
to
34
|
2180 M | 2.2 KM | |
| Head northwest on Hiksedijk | 105 M | ||
| Turn right onto Zeedijk | 2.1 KM | ||
| You are now at section 34 | 0 M | ||
|
From
34
to
32
|
1381 M | 1.4 KM | |
| Head northeast on Zeedijk | 1.4 KM | ||
| You are now at section 32 | 0 M | ||
|
From
32
to
29
|
958 M | 1 KM | |
| Head southwest on Zeedijk | 958 M | ||
| You are now at section 29 | 0 M | ||
|
From
29
to
31
|
2395 M | 2.4 KM | |
| Head west on Hollaereweg | 2.4 KM | ||
| You are now at section 31 | 0 M | ||
|
From
31
to
30
|
319 M | 0.3 KM | |
| Head west on Priestermeetpolder | 319 M | ||
| You are now at section 30 | 0 M | ||
|
From
30
to
12
|
2729 M | 2.7 KM | |
| Head northwest on Joanna Mariapolder | 561 M | ||
| Continue straight | 148 M | ||
| Continue onto Oude Zeedijk | 599 M | ||
| Keep right onto Oude Zeedijk | 1.2 KM | ||
| Make a slight right onto Spuistraat | 124 M | ||
| Turn left onto Havenplein | 60 M | ||
| You are now at section 12 | 0 M | ||
|
From
12
to
15
|
6017 M | 6 KM | |
| Head northwest on Molendijk | 264 M | ||
| Turn left onto Suzannaweg | 24 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Suzannaweg | 20 M | ||
| Turn right onto Molendijk | 56 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Molendijk | 61 M | ||
| Turn right onto Havendijk | 294 M | ||
| Turn left onto Havenweg | 20 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 1.8 KM | ||
| Keep right at the fork | 1.8 KM | ||
| Make a slight right | 1.6 KM | ||
| Keep right at the fork | 96 M | ||
| You are now at section 15 | 0 M | ||
|
From
15
to
14
|
5388 M | 5.4 KM | |
| Head west | 1.6 KM | ||
| Keep right onto Veerweg | 2.6 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Stoofdijk | 138 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Voorstraat | 166 M | ||
| Turn left onto Van der Lek de Clercqplein | 609 M | ||
| Turn left | 350 M | ||
| You are now at section 14 | 0 M |