I visited Zeeland last weekend, and the city of Zierikzee in particular. Zeeland is a remarkable province in Holland. It is flat and quiet. And it has a long history of struggle with the sea. Now it is a popular holiday destination for the Dutch and the Germans.

The last major flooding of Zeeland was in 1953. After this ‘great flood’, the ambitious ‘delta’ project was initiated by the Dutch government, to prevent future floodings. A lot of dams, dykes and constructions were built all over the province the following decade. Since then, the country has changed a lot and is safe from the sea.

The city of Zierikzee is one of the most remarkable I have ever visited. It is very old, with the oldest buildings still standing dating back to the 15th century. It has more than 500 official monuments, which is a lot for a city with only about 11.000 inhabitants.

Near Zierikzee you can also find the Zeeland bridge. This bridge over the Eastern Scheldt is more than 5 kilometers long. When it was opened, it was the longest bridge in Europe and it is still the longest bridge of The Netherlands. It has a certain elegance to it that I like.

Aside from Zierikzee, I also visited the Plompe Toren in Kouwekerke. This town does no longer exist, because it was consumed by the sea in 1700. The church tower was spared and still stands there as a reminder of the devastating powers of the sea. The city sign of Kouwekerke is also still present, making this formally the smallest Dutch town, with zero inhabitants.