Netherlands Guide
The south and Zeeland
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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.