Oosterland brings together architectural and social history, nature and cycling. Notable features include an 18th-century Gasthuis, a grain mill and a church tower dating from around 1400. There is also the conversion of a former electricity tower into a wildlife tower, visible traces of the Marevliet tidal creek and practical ways to plan cycling tours. This gives you a choice of different focuses when planning your trip, without every option requiring the same kind of visit.
Buildings and Local History
The Gasthuis is an elongated building dating from 1754, with a semicircular, ornamentally decorated gable. Formerly a poorhouse, it provided free accommodation for fourteen families. The building’s design and former social function offer two distinct historical points of interest: its striking gable detail and its use as accommodation for families.
Molen Oosterland is a grain mill dating from 1752. It is a round, stone-built ground-sailer mill, constructed to replace an earlier post mill. This means you can consider both the mill’s design and the transition from an older type of mill to the later structure.
The tower of the Sint-Judocuskerk in Oosterland dates from around 1400 and has a saddle roof. Weekly services and various activities take place in the listed Jodocuskerk. The grounds of Oostersteyn contain the foundations of a 15th-century castle. A water basin created in 1752 served the local population and provided a reserve of water for firefighting. Together, these places show different aspects of architectural and social history, from surviving parts of buildings to castle foundations.
Nature Design and Landscape Traces
The Natuurtoren van Oosterland is a restored former electricity tower on Hoge Maireweg. It has been converted into a wildlife tower and fitted out for various animal species: sparrows, swallows, bats, owls, hedgehogs, shrews and insects. A widened ditch and a woven hedge are also part of the surroundings. This brings together the species the tower was designed for and specific features of the surrounding landscape.
South of Oosterland, traces of the Marevliet tidal creek are still visible in the nature area now known as De Geule. By contrast, the extensive creek area on the edge of Oosterland is not normally open to the public. Take this restriction into account when planning, and do not assume that the area can be freely explored.
Cycling Routes and Getting Your Bearings
The 30 km Monumentaal Fietsen Duiveland cycling route passes through Oosterland on the return leg to Nieuwerkerk. To plan a cycling trip from Oosterland to Zonnemaire, you can use numbered junctions and the Fietsrouteplanner.
Oosterland lies between the villages of Bruinisse and Nieuwerkerk. If you are considering the village as a base for your stay, you can choose according to the themes you want your visit to focus on: historic architectural styles and social history, the tower’s conversion for animal species, or a specific cycling route. The stated general access restriction applies to the creek area.
Discover more destinations: Kerkwerve, Ouwerkerk, Dreischor, Westenschouwen, Brouwershaven, Nieuwerkerk, Noordgouwe, Ellemeet.
For the broader travel overview: Schouwen-Duiveland.
