Waterlandkerkje: Church, Tiendenpaal and Hildegonda Walking Route

Waterlandkerkje offers a range of ways to explore during your stay: architectural and local history, a named walking route, and a bowling alley that can be rented. You can choose what interests you most, whether it’s historical details, a walk, or a private activity.

Church and Local History

The Dutch Reformed Church in Waterlandkerkje was built in 1674; the French set it on fire in 1708. It has a bell dated 1713 by Alexius Jullien, with a diameter of 43 cm. In front of the church stands a statue of Johannes Stuerbaut, made by Omer Gielliet. The construction date, fire and bell date provide three distinct points of reference for the church’s history.

Admission to exhibitions at the Dutch Reformed Church is free. For concerts, reservations are recommended because the church is small and has limited seating. Tickets can be reserved; check the current programme before you travel.

The Tiendenpaal stands on Redouteplein in Waterlandkerkje. It is a municipal monument of the municipality of Sluis and is considered one of the oldest boundary posts in the Netherlands.

Hildegonda Walking Route

The Hildegonda Walking Route is named after Hildegonda, a mermaid from a centuries-old legend associated with the village of Waterlandkerkje. The route is 7.5 kilometres long and runs mostly along paved paths.

There are benches and a picnic table along the route. Its length and surface provide practical details for planning a walk; you can factor in the benches and table as places to take a break. These details answer different questions for your planning: the length indicates the extent of the route, the paved surface describes the type of path, and the benches and table mark possible rest stops. As route details may change, check the latest route information before setting off.

The options for planning your day differ in focus: the route is a walk with a specified distance, while the church offers architectural history and exhibitions; concerts depend on the current programme. Whether you prioritise exercise or culture can help guide your choice of accommodation.

Historic Buildings and Bolling

The farm at Turkeijeweg 1 comprises a farmhouse, a wagon shed (wagenschuur) partly built of wood and topped with a tiled gable roof, and a detached stone barn with a tiled roof.

At Philipsweg 8 stands a brick house with a tiled gable roof and sliding windows. The property also includes a bakehouse dating approximately from the late 18th to the early 19th century. A gable roof has two sloping sides that meet at the ridge. The roof shape and covering are distinct features: the shape is a gable roof, and the covering consists of tiles.

The De Meermin bowling alley can be rented for celebrations or private rounds of bolling. If you’d like to include this activity in your travel plans, check in advance about a specific booking, as availability may change.

Discover more destinations: Nieuwvliet, Sluis, Schoondijke, Eede, Zuidzande, Breskens, Retranchement, Nieuwvliet-Bad

Return to the main travel overview: Sluis.