Retranchement: Ramparts, Border History and Nature

To decide whether Retranchement is right for your stay, it helps to understand what sets it apart: the ramparts combine a nature reserve with a history of fortifications, the Drieling puts the border in the spotlight, and the church and windmill add to the historic buildings to discover. The walks also offer different highlights: some trails pass border posts and bunkers, while another route goes through the Het Zwin nature reserve.

Ramparts, Forts and Border Posts

The Ramparts of Retranchement were built in 1604 as a defensive structure during the Eighty Years’ War. Today, they form a nature reserve of about 27 hectares with a varied landscape. Two themes meet here: the history of the fortifications and a natural environment you can explore on walking trails. If you’re lucky, you may hear tree frogs at the ramparts.

Fort Berchem also has several points of historical interest. Around 1643, it was built as Berchem Redoubt on the site of the disappeared Fort Terhofstede. In 2010, Fort Berchem was reconstructed on the basis of archaeological research. Access is via a drawbridge from the Oude Zeedijk; follow the local instructions, as access conditions may change.

The Drieling van Retranchement consists of three border posts in a straight line marking the Dutch-Belgian border. It is considered unique in the Netherlands. Its history also includes a distance that may come as a surprise when looking at the border markers: the two reference border posts were placed 135.5 ells from the actual border. A third post, numbered 364, was added in 1869. So the three posts mark the border, while the two reference posts stood a certain distance from the actual border line.

Walking and Getting Your Bearings

The walking route over the ramparts passes pollarded willows, border posts and bunkers. One section runs from the picnic area on Dorpstraat to Fort Nassau and is marked with wooden posts.

Another route connects Cadzand-Bad with Retranchement: “Wandelen langs ’t Zwin” passes through the Het Zwin nature reserve. There, mudflats, salt marshes and dunes shape the landscape. The 39-kilometre Zwin Route also passes the Ramparts of Retranchement.

There is an unpaved car and bicycle parking area on Molenstraat, along the walking route over the ramparts. Retranchement also has a charging station that is part of the e-bike charging network for West Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. These points serve different needs: a starting point for a walk and a place to charge an e-bike in the village.

Dogs are allowed on the ramparts’ walking trails if kept on a lead. However, dogs are not allowed in areas where cows roam freely, even if kept on a lead. As restrictions related to grazing livestock may change, follow the local instructions.

Church and Windmill

The Dutch Reformed Church at Dorpsstraat 16 is a modest hall church. Pilaster strips reinforce the walls; other features include arched windows, a hipped roof and a roof turret. Its simple design and individual features offer different ways to appreciate the architecture, without confusing the church with the fortifications or border markers.

Molen Retranchement, a grain and peeling mill dating from 1818, is on Molenstraat. It is one of the oldest post mills in the Netherlands. Together with the church, it adds another dimension to the buildings of Retranchement: this is not a fortification, but a mill with a clearly stated year of construction, type and former function.

Discover more destinations: Eede, Hoofdplaat, Breskens, Sluis, Nieuwvliet, Sint Kruis, Aardenburg, Groede

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