Netherlands Guide
The south and Zeeland
Middelburg
Compact MIDDELBURG, the largest town in Zeeland, is by any reckoning the most likeable. Its streets preserve some snapshots of medieval Holland, its cobbled alleyways echo the sea-trading days of the sixteenth century, and a few museums and churches provide targets for your wanderings. Middelburg's centre holds a large Thursday market and if you can only make it for a day, this is the best time to visit. Set to the imposing backdrop of the reconstructed Stadhuis and packed with local produce, it's an atmospheric event that's guaranteed to draw a crowd – including, on occasion, elderly couples in traditional costume. With a range of accommodation, Middelburg also makes an ideal base for exploring the surrounding area, including Veere, Domburg and the Delta Project, with good bus connections and excellent cycling potential along Walcheren's windswept coast.
Middelburg is an appealing town to explore, small enough to cover on foot and scattered with architectural clues to its rich, sea-trading past. The town owed its early growth to its position on a bend in the River Arne, making it easy to defend. The slight elevation gave the settlement protection from the sea and its streets slope down to the harbour, protecting the centre from flooding. Look out for the surviving stone blocks at the end of Brakstraat, into which wooden planks were slotted then bolstered with sand banks, acting as a temporary dyke.
Cycling around the Walcheren
Countless cycling options are available to make the most of the Walcheren's stunning coastline, with plenty of refreshments en route. With limited transport for bikes, most routes are best completed as loops. As a rule of thumb, red cycleway signs indicate utility paths, often parallel to a main road, while the green signs favour more scenic alternatives.
Possible day-trips include cycling west to Domburg, picking up signs to the Domburg HI hostel and continuing through the woods to Breezand. A cycleway follows the polder to Veere, from where you can ride alongside the Walcheren canal, cutting back to Middelburg. Alternatively, pick up the same canal out of town to Vlissingen, joining the cycleway that runs between dune and woodland to Zoutelande and Westkapelle: there's a fabulous stretch of dyke to cycle along, in the direction of Domburg, with spectacular sunsets out to sea and a photogenic lighthouse. A red-signposted cycle path leads directly back to Middelburg.
If Zeeland's well-founded reputation for blustery winds is putting you off, pay a visit to one of Middelburg's more unusual factories. M5, at Nieuwe Kleverskerkseweg 23 (t0118/628 759, www.m5-ligfietsen.com), is a company at the cutting edge of bicycle technology: it specializes in recumbents, or ligfietsen in Dutch. With their low-slung riding position, recumbents are not only fun and comfortable to ride but will also slice through Zeeland's fiercest headwinds – though it might take a few minutes to learn to ride one. You can rent from M5 for around €20 a day (plus €150 deposit), with significant discounts if renting for a week or more. Otherwise, you can rent bikes from the train station. Alternatively, head for Delta Cycles at Zusterplein 8 (down the alleyway next to the ING bank on Marktplein; t0118/639 245), which is part of a project that places people with mental disabilities in employment. Single-speed bikes are €5 per day.
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