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Buitenplaats de Oorsprong

Renesse, Serooskerke, Burgh-Haamstede

Renesse has traditionally been known as a seaside resort. In recent years the village has developed into a real family seaside resort. The lords of Renesse were men of influence. Their castle, Moermond Castle, still exists and you will encounter it on this cycle route. Unfortunately, virtually nothing of the interior has been preserved due to the damage caused by the flood disaster.

Scharendijke has grown from a small hamlet into the cream of the crop for water sports enthusiasts. Then you move into the country. Cycle through the Zeeland polders and along the canals to Serooskerke. Lord Alard’s children founded a village that they called Sheralardskindskerke, later corrupted to Serooskerke. The dike broke in this village in 1953, causing the Schouwen polder to flood. New dikes created the De Schelphoek nature reserve, a beautiful nature reserve that attracts many birds.

You cycle along the Oosterschelde to Burgh-Haamstede, a place that is mainly known as a tourist area. In the summer many people find their way to the beaches. Here you will also find Haamstede Castle.

Brouwershaven, Zonnemaire, Zierikzee

The country of Zeeland used to consist of many more individual islands. This also applies to Schouwen-Duiveland. Schouwen and Duiveland were once two separate islands separated by the water the Gouwe. In addition, there were two more islands: Bommenede and Dreischor. Over the centuries, the country has grown together.

With such a history that is strongly linked to the sea, you can imagine that there are many ports in Zeeland. And that’s right! This cycle route takes you past the pleasant marinas between Brouwershaven and Zierikzee. These two places are the only ones on this island that received city rights early on: Zierikzee in 1248 and Brouwershaven followed in 1403.

The marinas are beautiful places to visit in any season, but summer is of course the high season. Then the bays are full of pleasure boats and the harbors are bustling and lively.

You will also pass the historic museum harbor in Zierikzee, where you can delve into the history of shipping, admire the shipyard and the old fleet. At Dreischor you pass a spot that now mainly consists of a polder landscape, but in the past this was still a port…

Bruinisse, Brouwershaven, Ouddorp

The Grevelingenmeer, located on the border between the provinces of Zeeland and South Holland, is the largest saltwater lake in Western Europe. This special lake was created after the closure of the Grevelingen by the Grevelingendam and the Brouwersdam in the 1960s and 1970s, as part of the Delta Plan. The Delta Plan was a response to the 1953 flood disaster and aimed to protect the South Holland and Zeeland islands from the sea.

The flora and fauna in and around the Grevelingenmeer are particularly diverse. Underwater the lake has a rich marine life, including seaweeds, sea anemones, lobsters and various fish species. Above water, the area attracts a wide variety of birds, including several species of waterfowl and migratory birds, making it an important spot for bird watchers.

The closure and creation of the Grevelingen as a lake through the construction of the Brouwersdam has drastically changed the original ecosystem. The dynamics of the water, as it existed with ebb and flow, virtually came to a standstill due to the closure of the lake from the North Sea. However, this situation is about to change. There are plans to reconnect the Grevelingenmeer with the North Sea through a passage in the Brouwersdam. This initiative will restore the natural tidal cycle, causing the water in the lake to mix again with oxygen-rich seawater. Fish, plants and other aquatic organisms will benefit from this change, leading to an enrichment of the lake’s biodiversity.

This cycling route takes you around the Grevelingenmeer, past various South Holland and Zeeland sights. You start the tour in Bruinisse, on Schouwen-Duiveland, where you will find various parking lots around the ports to leave your car and get on your bike. You cycle over the Grevelingendam towards Goeree Overflakkee in South Holland.