Out and about in Zeeland with Michelle

My name is Michelle, I am 35 years old, single mom of a son aged 9 and a daughter aged 5. From the age of 16 to 22 I lived in Zeeland. On the Zeeland island of Schouwen-Duiveland the city of Zierikzee. The province of Zeeland consists of 6 peninsular islands and Zeelandic Flanders. For centuries, you could only reach the islands by boat. Since the construction of dams and bridges, all major islands have been connected to the mainland. There is plenty to do and see on the islands! That’s why we are going on a tour of Zeeland now!

Zierikzee

The Port City of Zierikzee is among the top 10 monumental cities in the Netherlands. The city has a rich history and more than five hundred monuments. Zierikzee has a lot of nice stores. I will list my favorites and recommendations for you. At Knock-on wood I love coming for my own children and for gifts. This store specializes in wooden toys and is located on Nieuwe Bogerdstraat.

If you like leather and design I would also go and have a look at the leather atelier Mien design. All products are handmade in the atelier, you can even make and design your own bag there! The world store is located in the beautiful national monument, De Gravensteen. This national monument dates back to 1358 and has had a special purpose. In fact, the Gravensteen was once a courthouse and is also the oldest prison in Zeeland. The monument can be visited daily in July and August with a guide. The tour starts at 14:30 at the Stadhuismuseum, Meelstraat 8, Zierikzee.

More fun things to do in Zierikzee

A cute little store selling homemade soaps in all sorts of colors and scents is De Zierikzeesche Zeepfabriek. You’ll find this one on the Havenplein. After visiting De Zierikzeesche Zeepfabriek, you can relax at Raf’s. Here you can enjoy a cup of coffee or tea with homemade cake or a delicious lunch. Afterwards you can continue shopping. For nice gadgets, trendy gifts to give away and flowers you can go to Intazijnvat. Unfortunately, they don’t have a website or Facebook page. So you really have to go there yourself to experience it! On the Melkmarkt you will find De Zeeuwse Hemel. Here you can eat delicious food but also go for tasty gifts.

In Zierikzee you can also find many home accessory stores. Ditdus By Co is one of my favorites. I always manage to find unique furniture and special accessories here, which can give your interior that extra special touch. In addition to home accessories, they also sell jewelry and bags. Besides looking for special accessories, Ditdus by Co also strives for products that have an honest story behind them. You can find this store on Verrenieuwstraat.

For fashion, Zierikzee is also the place to be. I love going to Bij Sluis. This is a hip women’s fashion store that you’ll find on Dam Square. At the Zeeland company Omoda you can choose from a huge range of shoes for men, women and children. The roots of this company are in Zierikzee, but you can now find this chain throughout Zeeland. Fortunately, you can also enjoy shopping online. Hungry after shopping? I can highly recommend tapas bar t’Schuitje.

Culture in Zierikzee

Thanks to the Dikke Toren, as the Sint Lievens Monstertoren is also called, you can tell you are approaching Zierikzee from afar. The building towers over 62 meters above the city. You can climb the tower and enjoy a magnificent view of Zierikzee and the Oosterschelde. Another real must-see is the Watersnoodmuseum. At the Watersnoodmuseum in Ouwerkerk, you can learn all about the 1953 Watersnoodramp and the battle against the water. The museum is housed in four giant caissons. These are large concrete tanks that were used to close the largest dike holes.

The most beautiful beaches in Zeeland

Zeeland has beautiful beaches as much as 21 kilometers long. The beaches are very wide and clean. In the summer months, the beaches are very popular with many tourists. My tips for the nicest, most beautiful and most pleasant beaches of Schouwen-Duiveland are:

• Domeinen 2 in Westenschouwen. This beautiful part of Zeeland offers more than just beach. It is also mostly nature. You can take long walks through beautiful wooded areas and this interspersed with the beautiful coastline. The Domains are four beaches next to each other at the head of Westenschouwen. Domeinen 2 is a family and sports beach. The beaches are very wide and they overlook the Oosterscheldekering. The sea here is part of the Voordelta. A protected nature reserve with many birds, fish and seals.

• Beach crossing Wilhelminahoeve in Renesse, beach pavilion south south west is highly recommended after a long beach day or in between a delicious snack and a drink.

• Brouwersdam, On the border of Zeeland and South Holland are the sportiest beaches of Zeeland. If you enjoy windsurfing, kite surfing, kite flying, kite buggying, fishing, swimming or other sports, the Brouwersdam is the place to be. There is plenty of space both on the Grevelingenmeer side and on the North Sea side. There are businesses where equipment can be rented or activities can be booked. The Brouwersdam attracts many free-spirited, young people but also many families who travel to the waterline with their camper or car with caravan.

Hiking and mountain biking

On the Kop van Schouwen you will find a beautiful dune and forest landscape consisting of the Boswachterij Westerschouwen, the Meeuwenduinen and the Vroongronden. You can explore this area through one of the many beautiful hiking and mountain biking trails. At Paviljoen Duinzigt you can enjoy an extensive menu with always fresh products. Pavilion Duinzigt is situated at a unique location; in the dunes of the village Westenschouwen directly next to the beach crossing and within walking distance of the largest forest of Zeeland. Easy to reach by car or bicycle.

Renesse

Renesse is really a tourist place. Every year a lot of German but also many Dutch youngsters come to this village to go out in the various discotheques and cafes. As an 18-year-old myself, I was here every weekend with my friends. However, the clubs of that time have all been renovated or converted into restaurants and many new clubs have taken their place.

You will find in Renesse among the many cafes and eateries also very nice living and fashion stores, often combined. There are stores in Renesse where I can amuse myself for hours. I love going to Beadle, for example . There they have an extensive assortment of beads, jewelry (including their own label), home accessories and gift items. They also regularly hold fun workshops like jewelry making, porcelain painting and soapstone carving. I also like to visit Paper Bag (living & giving). In addition to fun home accessories, they also sell unusual gifts and cool bags here. Finally, another must-visit is really the store Bomont. There are several branches of Bomont and the assortment differs. I especially like the combinations of home accessories and nice clothes. In fact, they also sell children’s clothing! And for a delicious ice cream you can go to ice cream parlor Geleijnse, they have delicious Italian ice cream.

Too much to mention

Some more tips that should not be missed when visiting the island are Deltapark Neeltje Jans and National Park Oosterschelde. Also the area around nature monument the Plompe Toren along the Oosterscheldedijk. I hope I have made you excited to come and take a look at beautiful the island of Schouwen-Duiveland. Zeeland is a province with so much to see and do that I could write 10 separate blogs about it. Who knows so see you in a new blog.

Greetings, Michelle