Try the Bevelanden on a bike Discover the Bevelanden on a bike

In the early morning when the mist still hangs in the air, in the afternoon with the sun on your face or in the evening when the sun slowly descends into the water: the Bevelanden invite you to hop on your bike. Pedal over winding dykes, past sprawling fields and the calm water. Along the way you’ll cycle through cozy villages, past orchards and other special places. Want to discover the Bevelanden by bike? Read on and discover our cycling routes!

Cycle through the west of the Noord-Beveland province, where land and water combine to create surprising flavors. Along the way, you’ll taste fruit from your own orchard, discover products made by Zeeuwse water buffaloes, and learn about seaweed and shellfish from the Oosterschelde. From farm shops to the salty world around the Oosterschelde, stop in along the way to try and discover where all that delicious food comes from.

Sweet from the polder and salty from the water: during this route you can experience both. From cherries and sea kale to eel and other fish species: along the way you discover all kinds of flavors from the region. Follow the Oosterschelde along the inlets, discover the fishing history of Colijnsplaat and enjoy the view of the Zeeland Bridge. A route full of flavors, stories and vistas, with plenty of reasons to stop along the way.

Apples and pears in the orchard, strawberries by the roadside, and black berries in the glass. In the Zak van Zuid-Beveland, you cycle through the landscape where all that deliciousness grows. Follow the flower-filled dykes and discover farm shops full of local products along the way: from goat cheese and fresh fruit to surprising ice cream flavors and crème de cassis. Closer to the Westerschelde, sweetness gives way to salt, with smoked eel as a tasty stopover.

Here you can see why Zuid-Beveland is the fruit region of Zeeland. Cycle through the orchards of Kapelle, past Goes and towards the water at Wemeldinge. Along the way, apples, pears, plums and strawberries are ready for picking; there are fruit vending machines along the route. Try homemade jam or Bevelandse friet and discover a region where fruit cultivation has been part of the landscape for centuries.

Scent the salty sea air and gaze out over the oyster beds and harbors of Yerseke. It’s all about the flavors of the Oosterschelde: from oysters and mussels to sea kale. But as you continue cycling, salt slowly gives way to sweetness. Discover Zeeland wine and cycle towards Kruiningen past fruit shops and stalls full of local products. A route where you taste how close land and water are to each other.

Those who would like to get to know the flavors of the Bevelands better can continue their exploration in the book “Zilt Zoet Zeeland, the flavors of the Bevelands” by Gerard van Keken.

The book takes you on a journey through the culinary history of North and South Beveland and shows how landscape, soil and the sea have influenced the products from the region. From apples, pears and berries to mussels, oysters and Eastern Scheldt crayfish: the salty and sweet aspects of the Bevelands are comprehensively discussed.

With stories about local products, the landscape and local history, as well as photography by Ruden Riemens, the book provides a valuable addition to the Zilt Zoet Zeeland Routes.

Does that sound like more to you? The book is available via the link below and at local Zeeland bookstores.