The best walks and hikes around Zelzate

An interesting piece of history

Well-maintained cycle path, pay attention at crossings, no right of way

Het Prieeltje is a beautiful municipal monument from around 1860, a remnant of a once lush garden belonging to the Wauters family. It was originally built for the Thomaes family. The garden was located where the parking lot is now on the Westdam side. In that garden, the actual wooden pavilion was rebuilt in stone for one of the daughters who was sickly and could get fresh air there in the garden. Around 1904, Maurice Pierre Henri Wauters built a farmhouse here on the Westdam. Around this pavilion, a macabre discovery was made in 1989. An 80-year-old dog's skeleton was found, still almost completely intact. The bachelor Petrus Wauters, who lived there at the time and had also been mayor of Sas van Gent (1903-1915), had buried his little dog here in front of the pavilion in a zinc coffin, soldered shut. Inside the zinc coffin was a sealed medicine bottle with a note in it. It stated: 'Tom, born in Zelzaete in August 1904 and died in Sas van Gent, on April 8, 1909. My faithful and best friend! At the spot where the dog was buried, an bluestone slab had even been placed with the text 'Here rests my faithful dog Tom'. This stone has unfortunately disappeared. The dog itself has been reburied and still rests near the pavilion. The love for his dog was so great that the former mayor had him immortalized by a painter. The painting now hangs with family in Laarne (B). source: information board on site

From 1929 to 1967, this location housed a textile factory that, at its peak (just before World War II), had over 150 looms and employed 255 workers. A significant portion of them came from Belgium. Eddy Wally was one of them for 10 years. Meanwhile, the buildings were given a new social and cultural purpose: they house the local history society, a number of carnival associations, and provide rehearsal rooms... All under the name "De Leutfabriek". On about eight panels, you can read the whole story concisely here.

The Sas van Gent tram station was located on the narrow-gauge railway IJzendijke-Drieschouwen, of the Zeeuwsch-Vlaamsche Tramweg Maatschappij (ZVTM), founded in 1911. The line was opened in 1914 and closed in 1949. The railway line was mainly built for the transport of people and sugar beets. During the First World War, it became the only important land connection between the western and eastern part of Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. On August 1, 1948, passenger traffic between Pyramide and Drieschouwen ended. On March 16, 1949, the last passenger line in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, from Breskens to Pyramide, was abolished. In September 1949, freight traffic also ended. The railway lines were subsequently demolished. Only in Sas van Gent and in Pyramide does the ZVTM tram station still stand. The one in Sas van Gent is a private residence as of 2026. The Sas van Gent train station was located slightly further south, at the level of Stationsstraat and Lepoutreweg. However, this was already demolished in 1967. sources: Wikipedia & stationsweb.nl

At the Westdam is the entrance to the Underground Tunnel System of the former Generaliteit Bulwark, the only one remaining of the seven bulwarks that the fortress Sas van Gent counted. The bulwark is also called 'De Molenberg' by the inhabitants. The brick tunnel system was used for the storage and supply of ammunition. The tunnels are accessible by appointment. On top of the bulwark stands the octagonal stone base of the former windmill. This shape is quite unique for a stone mill. The mill was built in 1785 to replace one that was blown over in 1747. bron: zeeland.com

At the entrance, a memorial stone is incorporated in honor of Sister Conrada Haast, who died of cholera in the Moriaaen parsonage on October 5, 1866. She provided assistance to a skipper's family who were in quarantine at De Stuiver. The stone was placed here on September 26, 1982.

The church is officially called 'Maria Hemelvaartskerk', but it is better known as the Cuyperskerk, after the architect who designed the church. It is a neo-Gothic basilica that was taken into use in 1892. It is the first church in the Netherlands to use a vault made of "cement-iron", or reinforced concrete. This led to contemptuous criticism such as "fake" and "kitsch", but nowadays the church can be seen not only as architectural and religious heritage, but also as important industrial heritage. The church is therefore classified as a National Monument. On January 1, 2013, the church was permanently closed. In the meantime, it was transformed into a complex of a food market, restaurant, party center, and rental of workspaces for start-ups. source: Wikipedia Opening hours in July and August (!): Tuesday, Thursday & Friday: 8.30 am-4.00 pm Wednesday & Saturday: 8.30 am-4.00 pm Sunday & Monday: closed