Netherlands Guide
The south and Zeeland
Zeeland
Luctor et Emergo, reads Zeeland's slogan is "I struggle and I emerge", a reference to the eternal battle waged with the sea. As its name suggests, the southwestern corner of the Netherlands is bound as much by water as by land. Comprising three main peninsulas submerged by the delta of the Rijn (Rhine), the Schelde and the Maas, each consists of a cluster of islands and semi-islands linked by kilometres of dykes. This concrete web not only gives protection from flooding but also forms the main lines of communication between each slither of land.
Before the Delta Project secured the area, silting up and fear of the sea's encroachment had prevented any large towns developing; Zeeland remains a condensed area of low dunes and nature reserves, popular with holidaymakers escaping the cramped conurbations nearby. The province also has more sun than anywhere else in the Netherlands: the winds blow the clouds away, with spectacular sunsets guaranteed, beams of sunlight puncturing fast-moving clouds. Getting around is easy, with bus services making up for the lack of north– south train connections, though undoubtedly the best way to see these islands is to cycle, using Middelburg as a base and venturing out to the surrounding smaller towns.
The Delta Expo
Opening time: April– Oct daily 10am–5.30pm; Nov– March Wed– Sun 10am–5pm
Price: Summer €16; winter €10.50
Website: www.neeltjejans.nl
It's on the Stormvloedkering, completed in 1986, that the fascinating Delta Expo, signposted as Waterland Neeltje Jans, is housed. Only once you're inside the Expo, though, do you get an idea of the scale of the project. It's best to start with the half-hour video presentation before taking in the exhibition, which is divided into three areas: the historical background of the Netherlands' water management problems; the technological developments that enabled the country to protect itself; the environmental consequences of applying the technologies and the solutions that followed. The Surge Barrier (and the Delta Project as a whole) has been a triumphant success: computer simulations predict most high tides, but if an unpredicted rise does occur, the sluice gates close automatically in a matter of minutes.
Transport to the Delta Expo is easy: from Middelburg take bus #133 (twice hourly in summer) from Langevieleweg on the west side of town, or you can easily cycle there (it takes 1hr 30min), following national cycleway LF16 (noord), alongside open beaches and dunes, past wind turbines and onto the storm barrier itself; there are ample opportunities to peer into the sluice gates and appreciate the full scale of the project. Allow for blustery winds on the way back. From Rotterdam, take the metro to Zuidplein and then bus #133; tell the driver you want the Waterland stop.