Middelburg

Middelburg sits in the middle of Walcheren, once one of the busiest trading ports in the country and now the quiet capital of Zeeland. Its centre is organised around the abbey, a walled precinct of courtyards and church buildings with the tower known as the Lange Jan rising out of it, and around the market square with a late Gothic town hall covered in statues and pinnacles. Outside the old core a moat runs in a star shape along the line of the former ramparts, planted and walkable. Much of the centre was rebuilt in the twentieth century after severe damage, carefully and in the old manner, which is worth knowing while you look at it.

What you actually see

• The abbey precinct - courtyards, gates and church buildings behind their own wall.
• The Lange Jan - the abbey tower, climbable, with Walcheren and the sea arms visible from the top.
• The town hall - the late Gothic front on the market square, hung with statues.
• The moat ring - the star-shaped water and green belt on the line of the old defences.

When to go

April to September, when the tower keeps regular hours and the terraces on the market square work. Thursday is market day in the square, the busiest and the best day to be there. Zeeland gets strong sun and stronger wind, with the coast a short ride away for either. Winter here is very quiet.

Honest expectations

Getting there is a long train ride from anywhere, and Zeeland is a detour rather than a stop on the way to something else. The rebuilt streets are convincing but not old, which some visitors feel once they know. The tower climb is a long narrow stair. Sunday closing is thorough and out of season the centre empties by evening.

Nearby

Veere, a small harbour town, is fifteen minutes away, and the dunes at Domburg are close.