Discover Hulst

Hulst brings together the history of a fortified town and sights that can be explored in different ways. The town walls, historic buildings and museum each offer a different focus: you can concentrate on architecture and local history or combine individual walks and visits.

Town walls and routes through the fortified town

The 3.5-kilometre-long town walls were built during the Eighty Years’ War and have been fully restored. The wide, paved paths are easily accessible for wheelchair users. If you want to walk the entire circuit of the walls, allow about an hour to explore the different levels; there are views of the surrounding area along the way. Together with the town moat, the fortifications define the character of the historic fortified town.

One way to explore the fortifications is the 3-kilometre “Wandelen door vestingstad Hulst” route. It runs along the fortifications and past monuments, artworks and old gates. The gates can also be viewed individually: the Dubbele Poort consists of three vaulted brick passages built like tunnels into the earthen rampart. A date stone is set into the land-facing parapet. It gives 1771 as the year the western section was built.

Basilica, mill and historic buildings

At the heart of the fortified town stands the H. Willibrordusbasiliek, built in the Brabantine Gothic style. Construction began as early as the 13th century; the church was extensively expanded over the following centuries. The tower can be climbed on a guided tour and offers views of the area around Hulst from a height of 60 metres.

The 's-Landshuis is also closely connected to the town’s history. It was probably built in the second half of the 16th century as the administrative seat of the magistracy of Hulsterambacht, and its present form dates from the mid-17th century. Since June 2022, it has housed Museum Hulst and the Tourist Information Centre. The triptych “Mozes en de Wetstafelen” can also be viewed in the building.

The Stadsmolen stands on the Molenbolwerk. This round stone gallery windmill has a rotating cap. Built in 1792, it is listed as a Rijksmonument. Its different architectural features and dates offer another glimpse into Hulst’s built heritage. The sculpture group “Als de vos de passie preekt” also stands at the corner of the basilica and the Grote Markt.

Museum and Reynaert in Hulst

The permanent exhibition at Museum Hulst takes visitors through nine rooms, where stories about Oost-Zeeuws-Vlaanderen are told and presented. An audio tour is available in Dutch, English and German; the audio tour for children is also available in these three languages. This lets you approach your museum visit from different thematic interests, without the exhibition being limited to a single building.

You will encounter Reynaert in several places in the town and region. A monument was first erected in the market square in 1938 and moved in 1945 to a location just outside the Gentsepoort. There is a Reynaert treasure hunt for children in the fortress, with activities along the route. If you want to follow the story beyond Hulst, you can also explore the approximately 100-kilometre Reynaertroute: this driving route starts in Hulst and passes through Oost-Zeeuws-Vlaanderen and the northern Waasland region. The Pagadders, figures of Spanish soldiers, are spread throughout the town centre and provide information about an era in the history of the fortified town.

Cemetery and other routes in the surrounding area

The oldest part of the cemetery on Zoutestraat is of considerable cultural and historical value. The funerary heritage working group offers guided tours there on request. Alongside the gates, walls and buildings, this place of remembrance can also be a focus of a visit.

For recreational cyclists, Hulst has longer and shorter routes through forests, polders and tulip fields. In the wider area, the landscape is also shaped by small villages and expansive fields. The region also includes a long sea dike along the Westerschelde, brackish nature in the Verdronken Land van Saeftinghe and forests near the Belgian border. The town’s history and the wider landscape therefore offer different starting points for planning a stay in Hulst.

Discover more destinations: Hengstdijk, Kloosterzande, Heikant, Walsoorden, Terhole, Lamswaarde, Vogelwaarde, Graauw.

For the overview of the wider area: Hulst.