37 bells hang in Tholen’s little tower. The carillon plays every quarter of an hour; among the bells are the oldest carillon bell in the Netherlands, dating from 1458, and nine bells from 1627. Different chapters of the town’s history come together in one place.

Town History Along Paths and at Historic Buildings

The approximately 3-kilometre town walk runs along ramparts that have been transformed into green spaces, through narrow streets lined with old façades, and past monuments. The route also explains the star-shaped system of defences, with ramparts, bastions and moats. It replaced the medieval fortifications during the Eighty Years’ War.

A cruciform religious building in Tholen was constructed in the Brabantine Gothic style and is mostly covered by stone vaults. Its tower dates from the 14th century and was raised to 49 metres in the 15th century; the transept and some annexes date from the 15th and 16th centuries. At Vlasmarkt stands the surviving shell of De Verwachting, a grain mill built in 1848. Westkerkseberg is the only surviving terp, or refuge hill, of the twelve hills that once stood on Tholen.

Buildings in Stavenisse also tell stories of different eras. Watersnoodhuis is housed in the former town hall and is an information centre about the 1953 storm surge disaster. Hundreds of people took refuge there during the flood of 1 February 1953. Stavenisse Molen, a grain mill, has stood at the harbour in Stavenisse since 1801.

Tidal Landscapes and Birdlife

De Pluimpot can be reached via paths along the dikes, and birds can be observed there all year round. The nature reserve is a high-tide resting place for coastal birds and an important breeding area, for species such as oystercatchers, terns and avocets. Pluimpot is also the last surviving remnant of the tidal creek that divided the island of Tholen in two until 1556.

At Rammegors, salt water flows in and out twice a day through a controllable sluice in the Krabbenkreekdam. The nature reserve is home to grazing horses and cattle as well as meadow birds; many geese stay there in winter. A total of 145 hectares of mudflats and salt marshes were returned to the Oosterschelde after it was decided in 2010 to reintroduce the tidal range.

Slikken van de Heen lies near Tholen, by the Philipsdam on the Volkerak. This extensive nature reserve consists of tidal creeks, marshes and woodland, and provides a habitat for numerous bird species, including white-tailed eagles and ospreys, as well as red deer and Konik horses. The mudflats of the Krabbenkreek near Sint-Annaland are also important feeding grounds for waders. Species found there include bar-tailed godwits, oystercatchers, turnstones and various sandpipers.

Routes, Local Produce and Life on the Water

For shorter walks, Tholen has nine short circular routes around village centres. The Parel routes offer a different way to explore: along these short interactive trails, you complete tasks and answer questions, and receive a pearl at the end. If you’d like to spend more time exploring the landscape, you can take the 77.4-kilometre “Een moment voor Tholen” cycling route. It passes historic farms on Tholen and Sint Philipsland, each with an information board. You can start at any junction, and the route can also be ridden in two sections. Route layouts and guidance may change—check the latest information before cycling.

The “Proef en ontdek Sint-Annaland” walking route combines discovering the region with sampling local Zeeland and Tholen products. Participating providers and route details may change, so check the latest information in advance. Local products include high-quality early potatoes with a full flavour, Thoolse Dikbil cattle and Oosterschelde lobster.

In Sint-Annaland, the Watersportvereniging harbour lies on the Krabbenkreek, an arm of the Oosterschelde. The tidal water is salty and clean; at low tide, mudflats and salt marshes are exposed. Visiting boats are welcome. If you’re planning to arrive by boat, check the latest harbour conditions. The club programme includes sailing competitions, the “8 Hours of the Oosterschelde,” an annual club trip, a culinary Steigersafari, sailing lessons and an annual youth sailing weekend. Non-members can participate only occasionally; programme details may change.

Discover more destinations: Scherpenisse, Stavenisse, Sint Philipsland, Tholen, Sint Maartensdijk, Sint-Annaland, Poortvliet and Sluis.

For the full travel overview: Zeeland.