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- #3. This đŠȘPort City in the đłđ±Dutch Bible Belt is a Top Heritage Site
#3. This đŠȘPort City in the đłđ±Dutch Bible Belt is a Top Heritage Site
Middelburg is the ideal summer destination for active, seafaring and cycling enthusiasts with an appreciation of fresh seafood, multiform art and music, and history, and travelers who may prefer a more âsmall town feelâ type of city.
Deriving its name from being positioned between fortifications to fend off Viking attacks (not because itâs in the middle of the Netherlands), Middelburg is a port city and the capital of the south-western Dutch province Zeeland that is steeped in both a prosperous and sinister history.
Known for playing a pivotal role in the Scientific Revolution, well-preserved medieval-Gothic buildings and towers, a tumultuous maritime history, an Old Town encircled by a ring of winding canals, and fresh seafood, Middelburg is both a reminder of archaic colonial times and a concentrated push to shed that past.
Middelburg Ainât Mid
Get lost and wander. Middelburg is easily walkable and all roads lead to somewhere.
Must-See Attractions: With over 1,100 national monuments across Middelburg, and a pre-eminent Dutch heritage site, strolling through the Old Town will inevitably feel as if you stepped several hundred years back in time. Weave along the cityâs canals and old Middelburg harbor, traverse old cobbled back streets, and soak in the energy of the bustling Market Square. Snap photos outside of one of the finest Gothic buildings in all of the Netherlands, the Middelburg Town Hall (itâs gorgeous at night), or visit the sprawling Middelburg Abbey (a former monastic complex) and pop into one of its three churches (and Zeeuws Museum).
Cultural Experiences: Learn about Middelburg and Zeelandâs storied, prosperous, and dark history at the Zeeuws Museum located in a Medieval abbey. Consisting of 30,000+ objects related to Zeelandâs history, including massive tapestries depicting 16th-century maritime battles, and a powerful âAfterlives of Slaveryâ exhibition recounting the provinceâs heavy hand in the transatlantic slave trade. Home to six theaters and concert halls, dress up for a night out to enjoy world-class choirs, musicians, and theatrical performances.
Local Cuisine & Beer Scene: When down by the water in the Netherlands, eat mussels, oysters, and other fresh seafood! Grab a fresh stroopwafel from a bakery or pack from a vending machine (âstroopwafel ATMsâ blew my mind). Top it all off with local craft beer in the courtyard of Tall John Abbey Tower at Eetkamer Likkepot or open terrace Biercafe Vliegende Hollander smack-dab in the middle of the city center. Dutch beers galore can be found at the legendary Stadsbrouwerij Middelburg (a five-minute walk from the Zeeuws Museum) - the Hosternokke wheat being my favorite.
Middelburg Insider
View of Middelburg from the Tall John Abbey Tower.
Best Time to Visit: Head down to Middelburg from Amsterdam (or north from Antwerp) between early June and mid-September for long days with mild temperatures (and less rain than usual), to enjoy the sandy Zeeland coastline and leisurely canal boat tours, and to kick back on a lawn chair outside and experience the Zeeland Nazomerfestival, a week of multiform theater and music performances, and ZeelandJazz, a 10-day event showing national and international jazz musicians and ensembles.
Hidden Gems/Local Secrets: Climb up the 207-stone step Tall John Abbey Tower for magnificent panoramic views of the city (be prepared to sweat!). Middelburg, like the rest of the Netherlands, is incredibly bike-friendly and rife with well-marked cycling paths. Consider renting a bicycle to explore the city and its surroundings, like the beautiful coastline of West Zeeland or the former estuary and lagoon with artificially raised islands, Veerse Meer, to the east.
Travel Tips: In my opinion, the Netherlands is best experienced by car rather than train. Check out Europcar for affordable rentals and make your way down to Middelburg from Amsterdam, carving through Gouda, The Hague, and Rotterdam. Additionally, this may go without saying but pack for the weather. The Netherlands sports one of the most capricious and rainy climates Iâve ever experienced, so I donât recommend leaving the house without a rain jacket/umbrella or proper shoes (I wore flip-flops one day which was a terrible mistake).
Where to Stay: Located in the heart of Middelburg (and in a former mansion), Eclectic Hotel Copper & Co offers modern, spacious rooms (complete with a kitchenette) with huge beds, balconies, and gorgeous views of the Binnenhaven port and centuries-old inner harbor. Thereâs a juice bar and cafe on the ground floor to start your day off with healthy, energizing fuel. I swear this room was bigger than my apartment back in Hong Kong!
Big Bodyâs Middelburg Highlights
Starting the day off next to the water is great for the psyche.
Middelburg came out of nowhere for me when it came to delivering the best thing I ate in the Netherlands, so much so that it was the first post I put out on this new venture. Having tossed back a rump steak with marrow gravy at a chic waterfront Rotterdam restaurant the night before, I thought that was the apex for me. However, after a quick nap, I stumbled on a small kebab and pizza shop, Eethuis Today, serving up an absolutely unforgettable doner kebab pizza. Sometimes, the simplest things taste the best.
True happiness for me was crushing stroopwafels (Dutch cookies with a syrup filling) with one of my top dawgz while weaving in and out of this quaint little cityâs vibrant, winding cobbled streets and canals, and climbing up the Tall John Abbey Tower with panoramic city views.
Middelburg Should Be at the Top (Not the Middle) of Your Netherlands Destinations
I think I spent an hour just looking at this single maritime tapestry.
If you have any questions about traveling to Middelburg, the Netherlands, or Europe, please donât hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected]!
Travel well everyone and thank you for reading!
Big Body
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