Top 10 Natural Monuments around Zelzate

This open water (creek) is a remnant of a military inundation in the fight against the French in the War of the Spanish Succession - period 1701–1713. By breaching this dike, the polders behind it around Koewacht were flooded. When restoring the dike, they went around the deepest part of the stream channel.

On this elevated gravel path, you'll discover a special piece of the past and nature at Fort Sint-Jacob. This historic fort is part of the impressive Staats-Spaanse Linies and was strategically located between Fort Sint-Joseph and Fort Sint-Livinus, as part of the line of communication between Hulst and Sas van Gent. Here you can still feel the traces of the Eighty Years' War, when the fort was constructed in 1634 to protect the hinterland against invasions. Just a few years later, it fell into other hands, making the story of this place all the more captivating. Once, Fort Sint-Jacob was a compact, square redoubt with sturdy earthen ramparts and a protective moat. Today, these outlines are still clearly visible in the landscape, allowing visitors to literally walk through history. Thanks to careful restorations, including a reconstructed courtyard and a new drawbridge, the fort has been brought back to life. At the same time, nature has been allowed to run wild here. The area is managed by Staatsbosbeheer and has become a tranquil nature reserve. Whether you are interested in history, enjoy walking or cycling, or simply want to escape the hustle and bustle for a while: Fort Sint-Jacob invites you to come and see, discover, and enjoy.

An ideal stopping point on your cycling or hiking experience: Step back in time and discover a hidden piece of history: Fort Sint-Jacob. This fascinating remnant from the Eighty Years' War takes you back to a period when borders were still fought over and waterways made the difference between safety and danger. Located on the Passageule, this fort once formed a crucial link between the Spanish Netherlands and the States' territories. As part of the impressive States-Spanish Lines, Fort Sint-Jacob guarded the border and held back enemy infiltrations from the north. After the Peace of Münster, the fort lost its military function and slowly faded into obscurity. Nature took over, until around 2010 it was restored with care and respect for the past. Today, you can once again experience the contours of the past, including a replica of a cannon that symbolises the struggle that was once waged here. But Fort Sint-Jacob is more than just history. It is a place where peace and nature meet. The ramparts and moats now form a unique landscape where special plants and animals feel at home, typical of the brackish Zeeland area. Whether you are walking or cycling, this is an ideal place to pause, enjoy, and let yourself be carried away by the past. Let yourself be surprised and experience Fort Sint-Jacob for yourself.

On this segment you will get to know the nature reserve De Linie. It is an old military defense line of canals, forts and redoubts that were built in 1701 - 1702 by the French to defend Flanders against an attack from the Republic of Holland. The slight elevations of the current path and the wide canals are still silent witnesses from this period. The many water features are now a habitat for many water birds. In short, a nice path where the past and present overlap.

Nice and quiet place to walk (or even cycle). If you are lucky you might see sheep on the path. Here and there on the route there are benches to rest.

The Heidebos is a solid piece of nature on the border of the Meetjesland and the Waasland. The nature reserve offers a surprising range of biotopes from pine forests, birch-oak forests, poor grasslands to - as the name suggests - areas with heather, all of this interspersed with mighty avenues of beech and American oak. However peaceful the forest now looks, the Eighty Years' War raged there in all its fury in the 16th century. Relics in the landscape such as the ramparts of the fort Francipanie and the Parmavaart are reminders of this turbulent period.

The Heidebos is a sturdy chunk of nature on the border of the Meetjesland and the Waasland. The nature reserve offers a surprising range of biotopes from pine forests, birch-oak forests, barren grasslands to - as the name suggests - areas of scrub heath, all interspersed with mighty avenues of beech and American oak.

The fort and the line dike are still clearly recognizable in the landscape. Restoration work was carried out in 2009, which also included the construction of a new drawbridge and the reconstruction of the courtyard. The fort is now a nature reserve, managed by Staatsbosbeheer. It is freely accessible and there are hiking trails.