Graauw combines church art and a distinctive Godelieve tradition with ceramics and a polder landscape. At the Church of the Assumption of Mary, murals, stained-glass windows, the high altar and a bell come together; the Babo ceramics studio focuses on craftsmanship. The Graauw-Paal walking route leads to the sea dyke, while the Graauwse Kreek is considered an ideal fishing spot. The attractions therefore range from religious history and ceramics courses to a walk along the sea dyke and fishing in a creek.

Church Art and the Godelieve Tradition

Several works of art from a short period come together in the Church of the Assumption of Mary. Frans de Vos created the murals between 1915 and 1918. The stained-glass windows and the Neo-Gothic high altar date from 1914. The term “Neo-Gothic” refers to a revival of Gothic design forms and describes the style of the high altar here; the dates, in turn, place the works in time. The furnishings can thus be explored through two distinct features: their dates and their style.

A bell hangs in the church tower that comes from the church of the now-sunken village of Namen. Its origins extend the story beyond the works of art to a specific piece of history.

The St. Godelieve Chapel is located in the parish church of Maria Hemelvaart in Graauw. Pilgrimage to Godelieve is also part of the village’s history: it had a limited regional reach and continued until the Second World War. To the best of our knowledge, Graauw is the only place in the Netherlands with a special devotion to Godelieve. Alongside the church’s furnishings, the chapel, pilgrimage and distinctive devotion give it its own religious dimension.

Ceramics as a Craft Focus

Babo Keramiekstudio is a pottery studio in the Zeelandic Flanders polders, “op de Graauw.” It offers ceramics courses for beginners and advanced students. The studio also offers one-off and short-run ceramics workshops, as well as introductory workshops. If you would rather approach the subject practically than from an art-historical perspective, this offers a different focus from the church: ceramics are the activity at its heart.

The course levels help you assess your own experience; the workshop formats differ in whether they are one-off or short-run. An introductory workshop is another option if getting started is your main priority. This lets you decide whether to choose based on prior experience or the type of event.

On Foot Along the Sea Dyke and Creek

The Graauw-Paal walking route leads to the Zeedijk, an old sea dyke between the new polders and the land of Saefthinge. Along part of the route, walkers can walk beneath or on top of the sea dyke.

The Graauwse Kreek is another way to include nature in your plans. It is a narrow, elongated creek in the Willem-Hendrikspolder near Graauw and is considered an ideal fishing spot. The walking route offers a stretch on foot along the sea dyke, while fishing is the main activity at the creek.

Discover more destinations: Vogelwaarde, Kloosterzande, Hengstdijk, Walsoorden, Terhole, Hulst, Lamswaarde, Heikant

Return to the main travel overview: Hulst.