Middelburg

Introducing Middelburg

Pleasant and prosperous Middelburg, Zeeland’s sleepy capital, is a friendly, low-key settlement. It’s not exactly flush with nightlife, but it’s a perfect base for exploring the region.

Although Germany destroyed the town’s historic centre in 1940, much has been rebuilt and you can still get a solid feel for what life must have been like hundreds of years ago. The fortifications built by the Sea Beggars in 1595 can still be traced in the pattern of the main canals encircling the old town.

As the main town of the Walcheren peninsula, Middelburg is fairly removed from the rest of the Netherlands – crowds are seldom a problem. Note that many of the town’s sights are closed in winter.

There’s no VVV tourist office, but there is a tourist shop (67 43 00; www.touristshop.nl; Markt 65C; 9.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5.30pm Sat), and the Zeeland Regional Library (65 40 00; Kousteensedijk 7; internet per hr €3; 5.30-9pm Mon, 10am-9pm Tue-Fri, 10am-1.30pm Sat) has net access. The post office (10am-6pm Mon, 9am-6pm Tue-Fri, 9am-12.30pm Sat) is at Lange Noordstraat 48.

For bibliophiles, De Drvkkery (88 68 86; www.de-drvkkery.nl; Markt 51) is one of the country’s best bookshops, drawing customers from as far as Belgium and Germany. It has an excellent magazine selection, a café, internet access (€3 per hour), art and photography displays on the walls – and oodles of books.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009