Zooming in on the Oosterschelde and Westerschelde
Yerseke, Kruiningen, Krabbendijke
With only a 5-kilometre-wide strip of land between the Oosterschelde and Westerschelde, the municipality of Reimerswaal is one of the narrowest parts of the Zuid-Beveland peninsula. Use this cycle route to learn more about the Oosterschelde and Westerschelde and discover the most important differences. The Oosterschelde and Westerschelde are branches of the Scheldt that have developed into their current form through natural processes and human intervention. This 360-kilometre-long river originates in the French municipality of Gouy. From northern France, the Scheldt flows through Belgium and eventually empties into the North Sea near the Netherlands. The oldest written mention of the river dates from 52 BC and comes from Julius Caesar, who called it Scaldis. There is some debate about the origin of this name: some linguists think it is derived from the Celtic kal (bright or brilliant), while others suspect a Germanic origin, with skald referring to shallow water or reeds. The Scheldt has traditionally split into two branches at the hamlet of Bath: the Westerschelde and the Oosterschelde. Originally, the Oosterschelde was the most important waterway to the North Sea. The Westerschelde only gained a connection to the sea via the Honte in the 9th century. It was not until the end of the 15th century that the Westerschelde took over the role of main channel. From the end of the 17th century, the first part of the Oosterschelde gradually silted up, making it sometimes possible to cross from Zuid-Beveland to Noord-Brabant on foot. Ultimately, it was the construction of the railway line between Vlissingen and Roosendaal that definitively connected Zuid-Beveland to the mainland, turning it into a peninsula. Thanks to the construction of the Kreekrak dam, the Scheldt water could no longer reach the Oosterschelde from 1867 onwards. The water quality in the Oosterschelde quickly improved. When the Delta Works were constructed, the choice was ultimately made to construct a semi-open pier dam, which allowed some tidal action in the Oosterschelde to be maintained. The water is now salty everywhere, making the Eastern Scheldt an important breeding ground for various fish and shellfish. Since 2002, the area has had the status of National Park and plays an essential role in fishing and recreation. The aquatic life is so spectacular that it has even become a popular diving location. And the Westerschelde? This has grown into one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, with approximately 50,000 ship movements annually. The 95-kilometre waterway has an open connection to the North Sea and is an important shipping route between Antwerp and Vlissingen. Because the Westerschelde consists of a system of channels, sandbars, mud flats and salt marshes, it is not possible to navigate the entire width. The natural obstacles and tidal differences make it very entertaining to watch the large container ships manoeuvre. Unfortunately, the Westerschelde has become one of the most polluted waters in all of Europe due to polluted industrial water. Fish and seals have almost completely disappeared as a result. In the meantime, people are working hard to improve the water quality. This premium route was compiled by our editor: Elwin Croeze
| Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
|
Start: Molendijk , 4401 CN Yerseke | 42.4 KM | |
|
From
63
to
99
|
3109 M | 3.1 KM | |
| Head southeast on Molenpolderweg | 1.5 KM | ||
| Make a slight right onto Molendijkseweg | 20 M | ||
| Turn left | 229 M | ||
| Continue straight | 845 M | ||
| Continue onto Molendijk | 80 M | ||
| Turn left onto Olzendedijk | 30 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Kaasgat | 356 M | ||
| You are now at section 99 | 0 M | ||
|
From
99
to
43
|
2761 M | 2.8 KM | |
| Head southeast on Kaasgat | 83 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Olzendedijk | 345 M | ||
| Continue left onto 2e Tholseindeweg | 350 M | ||
| Turn right onto Olzendepolder | 448 M | ||
| Turn left | 1.5 KM | ||
| Make a slight left onto Koksedijk | 10 M | ||
| You are now at section 43 | 0 M | ||
|
From
43
to
42
|
4861 M | 4.9 KM | |
| Head northeast on Nieuwlandseweg | 262 M | ||
| Keep left onto Nieuwlandseweg | 172 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 4.4 KM | ||
| You are now at section 42 | 0 M | ||
|
From
42
to
98
|
939 M | 0.9 KM | |
| Head southeast on Noordschans | 558 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Meiboom | 381 M | ||
| You are now at section 98 | 0 M | ||
|
From
98
to
95
|
2308 M | 2.3 KM | |
| Head south on Meiboom | 13 M | ||
| Turn left | 2.3 KM | ||
| You are now at section 95 | 0 M | ||
|
From
95
to
73
|
3637 M | 3.6 KM | |
| Head east on Oude Rijksweg | 186 M | ||
| Turn right | 29 M | ||
| Turn left onto Haltestraat | 394 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 651 M | ||
| Turn right | 387 M | ||
| Turn right onto Kapucijnenweg | 621 M | ||
| Turn right onto Akkerweg | 1.4 KM | ||
| You are now at section 73 | 0 M | ||
|
From
73
to
94
|
742 M | 0.7 KM | |
| Head south on Akkerweg | 742 M | ||
| You are now at section 94 | 0 M | ||
|
From
94
to
41
|
5116 M | 5.1 KM | |
| Head west on Zimmermanweg | 277 M | ||
| Turn left onto Buitendijks | 218 M | ||
| Make a U-turn and continue on Buitendijks | 2.4 KM | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Buitendijks | 146 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Zusterzand | 2 KM | ||
| You are now at section 41 | 0 M | ||
|
From
41
to
97
|
2172 M | 2.2 KM | |
| Head west on Zusterzand | 1.3 KM | ||
| Make a slight left onto Nolleweg | 46 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Schaarweg | 846 M | ||
| You are now at section 97 | 0 M | ||
|
From
97
to
44
|
3587 M | 3.6 KM | |
| Head south on Havenstraat | 65 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Westveerdijk | 66 M | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Westveerdijk | 1.4 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Vroondijk | 21 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Vroondijk | 1 KM | ||
| Make a slight left onto Inkeldijk | 961 M | ||
| You are now at section 44 | 0 M | ||
|
From
44
to
90
|
472 M | 0.5 KM | |
| Head west on Inkeldijk | 11 M | ||
| Turn right onto Polderweg | 461 M | ||
| You are now at section 90 | 0 M | ||
|
From
90
to
87
|
2106 M | 2.1 KM | |
| Head north on Blauwhoefseweg | 991 M | ||
| Continue straight | 333 M | ||
| Turn left | 27 M | ||
| Turn left | 37 M | ||
| Turn left onto Slagveldstraat | 468 M | ||
| Turn right onto Voorhoute | 79 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Voorhoute | 171 M | ||
| You are now at section 87 | 0 M | ||
|
From
87
to
85
|
4275 M | 4.3 KM | |
| Head southwest on Schotwal | 371 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Sandeeweg | 193 M | ||
| Turn left onto Langeweg | 444 M | ||
| Turn right onto Sluisweg | 391 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 270 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Buitendijks | 299 M | ||
| Keep left onto Buitendijks | 681 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Kanaalweg | 1.6 KM | ||
| You are now at section 85 | 0 M | ||
|
From
85
to
65
|
2789 M | 2.8 KM | |
| Head northwest on Kanaalweg | 1.6 KM | ||
| Continue straight | 584 M | ||
| Turn right onto Reeweg | 590 M | ||
| You are now at section 65 | 0 M | ||
|
From
65
to
63
|
3558 M | 3.6 KM | |
| Head northeast on Vlakeweg | 1.9 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Zweedijkseweg | 876 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Grintweg | 657 M | ||
| Turn right onto Vierstraat | 16 M | ||
| Turn left onto Molendijk | 134 M | ||
| You are now at section 63 | 0 M |