Zierikzee: Historic Town Centre, Harbour and Nature Trails

Zierikzee combines a historic town centre with maritime attractions and nature trails. When planning your stay, you can choose different focuses: town gates and monuments, ships and the harbour, or a nature walk. The sights and activities offer a range of ways to explore these themes.

Monuments, Town Gates and Routes through the Historic Town Centre

Visitors can see more than 500 monuments in Zierikzee’s historic town centre. Among its notable buildings is the Nobelpoort, an imposing medieval town gate dating from the 14th century. It is one of the city’s three surviving town gates. The Stadsjuwelenroute passes town gates, mansions and other monuments, highlighting a range of historic buildings.

Another striking landmark is the Sint-Lievensmonstertoren, also known as the Dikke Toren. The tower is 62 metres high. Construction began in 1454 and was halted around 1510. Visitors can climb the tower via 278 steps and enjoy sweeping views from a height of 62 metres over Zierikzee, the Oosterschelde and the Zeelandbrug. If you plan to climb it, check the visiting arrangements before your trip. While the Nobelpoort’s significance as a surviving town gate is its main attraction, the tower’s height, construction history and views shape the visitor experience.

The Walk of Fame van Zierikzee runs through the traffic-calmed town centre and is suitable for pushchairs and wheelchair users. It is easy to reach from the car parks around the historic town centre. This information can help you choose a route if accessibility is important to you. The weekly goods market takes place on Thursdays; take this into account when planning your day if you would like to visit the market.

Museum Collections and Maritime Impressions

The Stadhuismuseum Zierikzee is housed in the monumental former town hall in the centre. It manages the collection of the municipality of Schouwen-Duiveland, which contains almost 9,000 objects. These include ship models, silverware, historic maps, paintings, archaeological finds and exotic souvenirs. The collection thus spans a range of themes, from maritime objects and crafts to archaeology and everyday items from other contexts.

Museumhaven Zeeland has two locations: a shipyard and a harbour with authentic ships. Old ships and ship engines are restored at the shipyard. A visit can also include a boat trip through the harbour of Zierikzee. The restoration work, the ships in the harbour and the option of a boat trip each offer a different maritime experience. At the tip of the harbour, there is also a listening station where visitors can hear the underwater sounds of harbour porpoises.

Walking and Nature

Walking routes offer a range of ways to explore the area. One route around Zierikzee passes an area that was converted into nature as part of Plan Tureluur and is suitable for birdwatching. Another walk starts at the harbour and goes through or alongside a natural area. The first route focuses on birdwatching; the harbour is the specifically described starting point for the second. Use this information to decide whether you would like to focus your stay more on nature watching or on a walk connected with the harbour.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Renesse, Bruinisse, Noordwelle, Serooskerke Schouwen, Kerkwerve, Westenschouwen, Zonnemaire, Nieuwerkerk.

For the overview of the wider area, see: Schouwen-Duiveland.