Zoutelande – hiking off-the-beaten track in the Netherlands

For our last activity in Zeeland this holiday week, we went to Zoutelande. We found the walk at https://www.zeeland.com/nl-nl/visit/729_nl/duinwandeling-zoutelande. This walk goes through Zoutelande, over the highest dunes in the Netherlands, and through the woods near Dishoek, past traces of the Second World War. From the dune path, you have a magnificent view of Walcheren and the Western Scheldt. Nowhere else do ships pass so close to the coast as here, between Zoutelande and Vlissingen. On the other side, you look out over a colorful pattern of fields and meadows, punctuated by villages with pointed church towers. The walk follows hiking junctions, but we adjusted them slightly to allow us to explore Zoutelande more closely.

A very beautiful hike through the nature reserves around Zoutelande. A highlight are the high dunes with a great view. The tour is recommended at any time of year.

Komoot lost his way for a while after the steep long stairs down to Klein Valkenisse, so there are some delays. "turn left" "turn around". .. no I just had to go straight #sigh .. Finally took a good look at the picture and found the way hey... Tough but beautiful walk. Unfortunately the sea was shrouded in mist this early morning.

Hello everyone 🙂, We discovered today's tour on "zeeland.com". The starting point was our hotel, which is located directly on the dunes. In light fog we started up on the dune. From there we could enjoy the view of the foggy valley. We made good progress on wide gravel roads. After a while, we went into the hinterland, into a wooded area, where old relics from World War II could still be seen. We passed an anti-tank barrier and a small bunker. Then the sun 🌞 dissolved the fog very quickly. We continued past the place "Klein Valkenisse", from here the area became more open, fields and canals shaped this part of the tour. We went back over the dike and along the beach to the hotel. With almost deserted paths, we had a quiet and relaxed hike 🥾🥾.

The weather is nice, the sun is shining and today we go on a dune hike. We park our car in a parking lot near the dunes. The hike takes us over the highest dunes in the Netherlands. At Groot-Valkenisse, the dune peaks rise a good 46 meters above sea level. First we walk along the beach and enjoy the sun and the beautiful beach panorama. After a short stretch on the beach we walk along the dune path and we get magnificent views of Walcheren and the Westerschelde. In summer, Zoutelande is a lively seaside resort for families with a beautiful, south-facing sandy beach. Together with the beaches of Dishoek and Westkapelle, the beaches of Zoutelande are also known as the "Zeeland Riviera". On the other side of the dune is the shopping street with great shops and inviting street cafes. The promenade turns into a beautiful hiking trail that leads through the dunes. The view over Walcheren and the sea, on which large ocean-going ships sail past the coast, makes this hike a real experience. We also hike over one of the highest dunes in the Netherlands - just right for two summiteers .... Nowhere else do the big ocean-going ships sail so close to the coast as we have read here between Zoutelande and Vlissingen and we also see it like this towards the end of our hike ... On the other side of the Scheldt you can see a colorful patchwork carpet let yourself wander out of fields and meadows as well as villages with pointed church towers. The way back to Zoutelande leads us through the forest, where we pass some anti-tank traps and bunkers from the Second World War. After almost two hours, the path leads us back to the starting point and we don't miss the opportunity to take a detour to the mill in Zoutelande and the Katharinenkirche. A few more hundred meters along the beach and a beautiful hike is over ...