The Lange Jan rises 90.5 metres above Middelburg. Visitors who want to reach the viewing platform have to climb 207 steps. From the top, visitors can see Middelburg and other villages in Zeeland; visibility depends on the weather. If you plan to climb the tower, check the latest access information before your visit.

City History in the Abbey, Streets and Tapestries

Middelburg is home to more than 1,200 monuments, including preserved buildings from the Golden Age, churches and historic, picturesque streets. The city’s history is therefore present both in public spaces and in collections. Your attention can move between buildings, streets and individual exhibits, without any one feature explaining the whole city.

The Zeeuws Museum presents its collections in a former abbey in Middelburg. They include archaeological finds, regional costumes, porcelain and silver, as well as world-famous tapestries. The display of individual objects may change. One series of tapestries depicts the Zeelanders’ struggle against the Spanish during the Eighty Years’ War: here, history takes shape in a vivid sequence of images alongside the collection’s other material artefacts.

Green Spaces with Traces of History

Middelburg’s Bolwerken were once bastions of the city walls and are now a city park in the English landscape style. The park extends for more than four kilometres in total. The De Hoop windmill stands on the Vlissings Bolwerk, and the Seismolen windmill stands on the Seisbolwerk. The names of the two Bolwerken help visitors locate these historic structures.

Park Toorenvliedt lies in the southwest of Middelburg and includes an 18th-century villa. Several Second World War bunkers there remain largely intact. Children can also take part in a treasure hunt, searching poems for specific letters. As the visitor programme may change, check in advance whether the treasure hunt will be available during your visit. The park also has special amphibian shelters for the protected natterjack toad.

Canals, Routes and Getting Around

Rondvaart Middelburg takes visitors through the old canals in an open boat. The operator also rents out open canoes and SUP boards. Check current availability if you would like to use one of these services. The City Bike Tour passes well-preserved quays, locks and Middelburg’s marina, which have been preserved since the VOC’s heyday. It is also worth checking the current tour offering in advance.

Another circular route starts and ends in Middelburg and passes through Veere, Vrouwenpolder, Oostkapelle, Domburg, Westkapelle, Zoutelande and Vlissingen before returning. It is about 60 kilometres long.

If you are travelling by train, Middelburg railway station is a seven-minute walk from the city centre. Tourist Info Middelburg offers brochures and maps for walking and cycling routes based on the junction network. If you are looking for a particular map, ask about the current selection.

Fishing and Traditional Dress in Arnemuiden

The Arnemuiden Historical Museum is housed in the old town hall and the workers’ house opposite. Fishing and traditional dress are covered in detail. Visitors are always given a tour of the entire museum; check the latest visitor information in advance. During the museum’s opening hours, you can visit the workers’ house ’t Uusje van Eine, also known as Hendriks Häuschen, with a volunteer. This brings two distinct aspects into focus: the subjects covered by the museum and a visit to a specifically named workers’ house.

Discover more destinations: Arnemuiden, Middelburg, Nieuw- En Sint Joosland, Veere, Vlissingen, Tholen, Goes, Hulst.

For the overview of the wider region: Zeeland.