Cycle route The liberation of Walcheren
Middelburg, Vlissingen, Zoutelande
5 May is Liberation Day, the day the Netherlands was liberated from German occupation in 1945. However, Walcheren was liberated months earlier, to clear the way to the Scheldt, the port of Antwerp and then the liberation of the Netherlands. In a plan to overcome the Germans, a capture of the port of Antwerp was crucial. Getting to the port of Antwerp required an open passage for the Allies via the Scheldt. Because the Germans still occupied parts of Zeeland, passage via the Scheldt was not yet possible. Liberation of, among others, Walcheren was therefore of vital importance. The Allies decided to flood Walcheren to force the occupiers to surrender. The population was advised via the BBC, Radio Oranje and pamphlets to leave the area as soon as possible. For about a week, the dykes at Westkapelle, Vlissingen and Vrouwenpolder were bombed and sea water poured into the country. From different sides, the advance from the sea onto the land could begin. The occupying forces made this more difficult by producing smoke screens on the coast, which ensured limited visibility. Halfway through 1 November, Westkapelle was liberated and a course could be set for Domburg. In the lighthouse near Domburg a number of German occupiers are hiding, when the Norwegians have a chance to throw grenades inside, the Germans surrender. In the dunes around Domburg there is much fighting for days, there are many occupying bunkers here that have to be taken one by one. Between Oostkapelle and Domburg is De Manteling van Walcheren. There was also heavy fighting here. When finally the weather was favourable, the British air force came into action with bombers. On 8 November 1944, the battle was over and Walcheren was free. The road to the Scheldt is open and the Allies are one step closer to the liberation of the Netherlands. Photo: Willem van de Poll, National Archive / Anefo photo collection
| Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
|
Start: Nieuwstraat 29A, 4374 BC Veere | 50.6 KM | |
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From
42
to
44
|
2074 M | 2.1 KM | |
| Head east on Nieuwstraat (N288) | 264 M | ||
| Turn right onto Langendam | 149 M | ||
| Turn left onto Duinweg | 1.2 KM | ||
| Make a slight right | 453 M | ||
| You are now at section 44 | 0 M | ||
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From
44
to
80
|
2562 M | 2.6 KM | |
| Head south | 1.1 KM | ||
| Make a slight left | 890 M | ||
| Turn left onto Strandweg | 28 M | ||
| Turn right | 542 M | ||
| You are now at section 80 | 0 M | ||
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From
80
to
81
|
1555 M | 1.6 KM | |
| Head south on Kaapduinseweg | 96 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Kaapduinseweg | 148 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Dishoek | 391 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Dishoek | 920 M | ||
| You are now at section 81 | 0 M | ||
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From
81
to
88
|
3764 M | 3.8 KM | |
| Head southeast on Zwanenburg | 974 M | ||
| Turn right | 464 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 1.1 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Nollehoofd | 9 M | ||
| Turn right | 67 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Boulevard Evertsen | 1.1 KM | ||
| You are now at section 88 | 0 M | ||
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From
88
to
87
|
1507 M | 1.5 KM | |
| Head northeast on Coosje Buskenstraat | 139 M | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Coosje Buskenstraat | 172 M | ||
| Turn right onto Aagje Dekenstraat | 202 M | ||
| Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto De Willem Ruysstraat | 29 M | ||
| Exit the roundabout onto De Willem Ruysstraat | 467 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on De Willem Ruysstraat | 24 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on De Willem Ruysstraat | 44 M | ||
| Continue onto Randweg | 147 M | ||
| Turn right onto De Baloeranstraat | 12 M | ||
| Continue straight | 5 M | ||
| Turn left onto De Willem Ruysstraat | 266 M | ||
| You are now at section 87 | 0 M | ||
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From
87
to
83
|
1832 M | 1.8 KM | |
| Head north | 15 M | ||
| Turn left onto Nieuwe Vlissingseweg | 25 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Vlissings Jaagpad | 1.8 KM | ||
| You are now at section 83 | 0 M | ||
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From
83
to
82
|
1381 M | 1.4 KM | |
| Head northwest | 8 M | ||
| Turn right | 81 M | ||
| Turn left | 44 M | ||
| Turn right | 58 M | ||
| Turn left onto Kerklaan | 38 M | ||
| Turn right onto Marnixplein | 179 M | ||
| Turn right onto Noordbeekseweg | 547 M | ||
| Turn right onto Weyevlietweg | 426 M | ||
| You are now at section 82 | 0 M | ||
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From
82
to
56
|
3269 M | 3.3 KM | |
| Head north on Bunkerpad | 1.4 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Abeelseweg | 974 M | ||
| Turn right | 96 M | ||
| Continue onto Koudekerkseweg | 298 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Koudekerkseweg | 14 M | ||
| Continue onto Kruisweg | 448 M | ||
| You are now at section 56 | 0 M | ||
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From
56
to
38
|
1513 M | 1.5 KM | |
| Head east on Breeweg | 622 M | ||
| Turn right onto 't Zanddorp | 72 M | ||
| Turn right onto Langevielesingel | 235 M | ||
| Turn left onto Langevieleweg | 55 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 22 M | ||
| Turn right onto Vlissingsbolwerk | 262 M | ||
| Continue straight | 10 M | ||
| Turn left | 105 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Vlissings Jaagpad | 107 M | ||
| Make a slight left to stay on Vlissings Jaagpad | 23 M | ||
| You are now at section 38 | 0 M | ||
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From
38
to
57
|
278 M | 0.3 KM | |
| Head northeast on Vlissings Jaagpad | 191 M | ||
| Turn right onto Het Groene Woud | 87 M | ||
| You are now at section 57 | 0 M | ||
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From
57
to
58
|
361 M | 0.4 KM | |
| Head northeast | 38 M | ||
| Continue onto Kanaalweg | 323 M | ||
| You are now at section 58 | 0 M | ||
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From
58
to
5
|
857 M | 0.9 KM | |
| Head northwest on Kanaalweg | 189 M | ||
| Turn right onto Kousteensedijk | 250 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Kinderdijk | 267 M | ||
| Turn left onto Spijkerbrug | 66 M | ||
| Turn right onto Rouaansekaai | 85 M | ||
| You are now at section 05 | 0 M | ||
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From
5
to
59
|
984 M | 1 KM | |
| Head west on Rotterdamsekaai | 257 M | ||
| Turn right onto Molstraat | 356 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Koepoortstraat | 39 M | ||
| Turn right onto Koepoortlaan | 111 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Veersesingel | 221 M | ||
| You are now at section 59 | 0 M | ||
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From
59
to
4
|
1424 M | 1.4 KM | |
| Head southwest on Noordsingel | 453 M | ||
| Turn right onto Noordweg | 971 M | ||
| You are now at section 04 | 0 M | ||
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From
4
to
3
|
1031 M | 1 KM | |
| Head west on Schotelweg | 1 KM | ||
| You are now at section 03 | 0 M | ||
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From
3
to
54
|
1353 M | 1.4 KM | |
| Head northwest on Schotelweg | 26 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Zandvoortweg | 1.3 KM | ||
| You are now at section 54 | 0 M | ||
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From
54
to
21
|
2440 M | 2.4 KM | |
| Head north on Zandvoortseweg | 598 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Ossenbergweg | 978 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Jacob Catsweg | 864 M | ||
| You are now at section 21 | 0 M | ||
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From
21
to
23
|
2374 M | 2.4 KM | |
| Head northwest on Steengrachtsweg | 22 M | ||
| Turn right onto Steengrachtsweg | 1.2 KM | ||
| Make a slight right onto Molembaixweg | 964 M | ||
| Turn left onto Zoetendaalseweg | 174 M | ||
| You are now at section 23 | 0 M | ||
|
From
23
to
22
|
1215 M | 1.2 KM | |
| Head north on Zoetendaalseweg | 609 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Kievitshoekweg | 606 M | ||
| You are now at section 22 | 0 M | ||
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From
22
to
20
|
2014 M | 2 KM | |
| Head northwest on Swanenburgsepad | 833 M | ||
| Turn left onto Wijkhuijsweg | 42 M | ||
| Turn right onto Cranesteynsepad | 314 M | ||
| Turn left onto Brouwerijstraat | 396 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Brouwerijstraat | 238 M | ||
| Turn left onto Dorpsstraat (N287) | 191 M | ||
| You are now at section 20 | 0 M | ||
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From
20
to
16
|
2151 M | 2.2 KM | |
| Head northwest on Dorpsstraat (N287) | 31 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Domburgseweg (N287) | 157 M | ||
| Turn right onto Oude Domburgseweg | 832 M | ||
| Keep right onto Duinbeekseweg | 1.1 KM | ||
| You are now at section 16 | 0 M | ||
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From
16
to
14
|
3473 M | 3.5 KM | |
| Head west | 1.4 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Duinvlietweg | 380 M | ||
| Turn right onto Domburgseweg | 1.3 KM | ||
| Keep left onto Domburgseweg | 134 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Domburgseweg | 310 M | ||
| You are now at section 14 | 0 M | ||
|
From
14
to
10
|
2966 M | 3 KM | |
| Head southwest on Weststraat (N287) | 247 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Schelpweg | 2.7 KM | ||
| You are now at section 10 | 0 M | ||
|
From
10
to
40
|
7358 M | 7.4 KM | |
| Head northwest on Noorderhoofdweg | 22 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Noorderhoofdweg | 1.9 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Noorderhoofdweg | 11 M | ||
| Turn right onto Zeedijk | 1.4 KM | ||
| Continue straight | 251 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Achterweg | 224 M | ||
| Turn right onto Jakob Brasserstraat | 98 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Jakob Brasserstraat | 3 M | ||
| Turn right onto Zuiderhoofdweg | 889 M | ||
| Continue straight | 72 M | ||
| Turn right onto Fietspad Westkapelle-Zoutelande | 222 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Strand Westkapelle | 469 M | ||
| Continue straight | 555 M | ||
| Continue onto Strand Westkapelle | 1.2 KM | ||
| You are now at section 40 | 0 M | ||
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From
40
to
42
|
897 M | 0.9 KM | |
| Head southeast on Westkapelseweg | 479 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Westkapelseweg (N288) | 418 M | ||
| You are now at section 42 | 0 M |