Discover 9 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Vlissingen (Netherlands). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: muZEEum, St James the Great Church, and Reptile Zoo Iguana. Also, be sure to include Michiel de Ruyter in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Vlissingen (Zeeland).
Table of Contents
MuZEEum
Museum in Vlissingen, Netherlands. The Zeeuws Maritime MuZEEum is a maritime museum in the center of Vlissingen, situated on the marina of the city. It is the successor of the Stedelijk Museum in Vlissingen. It is housed in a building once owned by the Lampsins family, prominent in the shipping business in the 17th century.[1]
Address: Nieuwendijk 11, 4381 BV Vlissingen
St James the Great Church
Also known as: Grote of Sint-Jacobskerk
Protestant church in Vlissingen, Netherlands. Saint James the Great Church is a large Protestant church in the city of Flushing, Netherlands. The building is on the Old Market; around are the streets called Branderijstraat and Lepelstraat. The original Roman Catholic church of the city, it has belonged to the Dutch Reformed Church since 1572, which became the Protestant Church in the Netherlands in 2004.
The church is pseudo-basilican in style; the aisles are almost as wide as the nave, the three aisles each have their own vault and the nave rises above the aisles, although a clerestory is missing.[2]
Address: Oude Markt 2, 4381 HK Vlissingen
Reptile Zoo Iguana
Reptile Zoo Iguana is a foundation that shelters and exhibits reptiles, amphibians and arthropods.
The foundation was established in 1981 and is housed at Bellamypark in Vlissingen, in the Dutch province of Zeeland. On May 19, 1982, the shelter was opened to the public. The animals come from the ports and airports, among other places. There they are confiscated if they are smuggled into the Netherlands illegally. Furthermore, the animals come from private individuals who have discarded the animals because they no longer want to or can no longer take care of them. The objectives of the Iguana Foundation are: To open and maintain the Reptile Zoo Iguana. To protect Reptiles, Amphibians and Invertebrates. To act as a shelter for the above animals.
The animals are initially held in quarantine. An attempt is made to return the animals to the country/area they came from. If that fails, they are offered to institutions such as zoos and are exhibited. A number of animals also remain in Vlissingen. This permanent exhibition of live animals attracts many thousands of visitors each year. The Reptile Zoo is regularly in the news with the captive births of special animals. The largest animal is a net python of over six meters. Other snakes, crocodiles, lizards, turtles, amphibians and a variety of invertebrates are also on display.
Address: Bellamypark 35, 4381 CH Vlissingen
Michiel de Ruyter
The statue of Michiel de Ruyter stands on Boulevard de Ruyter in his birthplace of Vlissingen, in the Dutch province of Zeeland. The 1841 cast iron statue is by the Flemish sculptor Louis Royer. The statue shows De Ruyter standing on a ship's deck with his back to the steering wheel, holding a pair of binoculars and the other hand at his side. For years the story has circulated in Vlissingen that De Ruyter, as a joke of the sculptor, has a small dog under his arm. Presumably, however, this is a roll of paper. The sculpture is affectionately known as 'Michieltje'. The Hungarian city of Debrecen also has a statue of the Vlissingen sea hero. On February 11, 1676, De Ruyter saved 26 Hungarian Reformed ministers, who were on a Spanish galleon in the Mediterranean, from slavery.
Biber
The Biber was a German midget submarine of the Second World War. Armed with two externally mounted 53-centimetre torpedoes or mines, they were intended to attack coastal shipping. They were the smallest submarines in the Kriegsmarine.
The Biber was hastily developed to help meet the threat of an Allied invasion of Europe. This resulted in basic technical flaws that, combined with the inadequate training of their operators, meant they never posed a real threat to Allied shipping, despite 324 submarines being delivered. One of the class's few successes was the sinking of the cargo ship Alan A. Dale.
A number have survived in museums, including one example that has been restored to operational condition.[3]
Zorgboulevaart
Address: Boulevard Bankert, Vlissingen
Oranjemolen
The Oranjemolen is a corn mill and former hulling mill on the Oranjedijk in Vlissingen, in the Dutch province of Zeeland. Due to its location, this mill is both a good windcatcher and an eye-catcher. It is a scaffold mill described in 1699, so it must have been built earlier. Since 1968, the mill has been owned by the municipality of Vlissingen. It is covered with roofing leather and has a flight of 24.50/24.60 meters. Since 2014 the mill has been grinding, and is still used to grind grain on a voluntary basis. Of the 23 city mills in Vlissingen, the Oranjemolen is the only one left. It is the closest mill to the sea in the Netherlands. On several occasions, the mill has suffered from violence of war. A bullet from the English fleet in 1809 is said to still be in the southwest side of the mill wall. Traces of the Second World War can also still be found - the Allies landed near the mill in 1944.
In 2000 the Oranjedijk had to be raised by two meters. Therefore, the leaning mill (700 tons) was straightened and jacked up two meters using pile foundations, and an extensive restoration took place in 2002.
Vieux marché - Oude Markt
Square
Address: Oude Markt 11, Vlissingen
Timmerfabriek Vlissingen
Eat and drink, Restaurant, Dinner, Lunch
Address: Koningsweg 37, Vlissingen