The Delta Works

After the flood of 1953 drowned much of the southwest, the Netherlands built the Delta Works, a chain of dams, sluices, locks and storm surge barriers across the estuaries of Zeeland that ranks among the largest engineering projects ever undertaken and is often listed among the wonders of the modern world. Its centrepiece is the Oosterscheldekering, a barrier some nine kilometres long whose enormous gates normally stand open so that the tide, and the shellfish beds and seals that depend on it, keep moving, and close only when a storm surge threatens. Driving the road along the top is an experience of scale, with the North Sea on one side and the estuary on the other, and on the artificial island of Neeltje Jans a visitor centre explains how it all works. It is the clearest place to understand a country that lives below the sea.

History

In 1950 two small estuary mouths, the Brielse Gat and the Botlek, were dammed, and after the North Sea flood of 1953 a Delta Works Commission was set up; the works were built between 1954 and 1997, and the American Society of Civil Engineers counts them, with the Zuiderzee Works, among the Seven Wonders of the Modern World (Wikipedia, Delta Works).

What you'll find

• The Oosterscheldekering - the storm surge barrier with its huge liftable gates.
• Neeltje Jans - the visitor centre on the artificial island, with the story of the works.
• The estuary and tidal flats - the seals, shellfish beds and birdlife the open barrier preserves.
• The coastal drive - the road running along the barrier between sea and estuary.

When to go

April to October is the most comfortable for the exposed coast, though the barrier is at its most dramatic in a winter gale, when it may close. Zeeland is windy in every season. The visitor centre keeps seasonal hours, reduced in winter.

Things to know

It is an engineering landmark rather than a scenic one, so people who are not interested in how it works may find a long drive over a concrete barrier underwhelming. The visitor centre leans towards families and has a distinctly theme-park side alongside the serious exhibits. Zeeland is exposed and often blustery, and public transport out here is thin, so a car makes the difference.

Nearby

The Zeeland beaches and the old town of Middelburg are close; Rotterdam is about an hour and a half away.

Key facts