Vlissingen: coastal town and seaside resort

Maritime flair

The main attractions of Vlissingen are the long beach promenade - incidentally, the longest in the Netherlands - and the pretty beaches. You could almost forget that the town has 300 buildings which lend it its typical seaside character. The eventful past of Zeeland is presented in the muZEEum town museum. With the help of state-of-the-art media technology, you'll learn more about shipbuilding and naval battles, floods and fishing.

The top attractions of Vlissingen

• A sandy beach, a long promenade and lovely beach restaurants make Vlissingen a perfect combination of city and beach life.
• Vlissingen has always played an important role as an area with a convenient strategic location on the Westerschelde; The casemates from 1811, the Zeeuws Maritiem muZEEum, the Uncle Beach monument on the boulevard, and the Liberation Museum near Vlissingen give an interesting insight into the history of Zeeland.
• You should also go on a boat tour with the pedestrian ferry to the idyllic little harbor town of Breskens, located on the other side of the Westerschelde.
• Breathe in the maritime flair in the Vlissingen marina and the pilot harbor, which is located right in the center. The pilots bring the freighters safely into the harbors at Antwerp.
• The wheels of the windmill at the Oranjedijk turn on Fridays, and can be viewed for free.
• 500 reptiles, amphibians and insects live in the Iguana Reptile Zoo near the center of Vlissingen.
• You can book a round trip around the harbor at the local tourist information board, VVV Vlissingen (Spuistraat 46).

Vlissingen for children: sharks and pirates

The exciting world of pirates and an interesting tour through the North Sea come together in Het Arsenaal. Where would you like to start with your kids? Stroke a shark first, or plunder the seas of the world as a pirate? Whatever you choose - you'll have tons of fun in Het Arsenaal! Would you rather go on the water yourself? Vlissingen also offers all kinds of water sports activities. The 2,400 m2-sized indoor trampoline park, Street Jump, is new on Gildeweg 10. 

Have a taste of Vlissingen!

After a long day on the beach, it's natural that you'd want to eat on the beach in the evening as well, watching the waves and the sun going down. Brasserie Blvd and the Kon-Tiki Beach, Panta Rhei and Piet Hein beach pavilions are located directly on the beach. If you'd rather go out somewhere stylish, you can indulge yourself in the former prison tower (De Gevangentoren) on the boulevard in Vlissingen. You'll also find plenty of good restaurants with tables and chairs outside on the centrally situated square, Bellamypark. Incidentally, the culinary specialty of Zeeland is mussels; we've searched out a couple of outstanding restaurants for you which offer Zeeland mussels. 

Visit Vlissingen

Vlissingen is located on the Walcheren Peninsula in Zeeland. The area is known for its excellent walking and cycling opportunities. You can also enjoy activities on the beach, and stroll along the Vlissingen beach boulevard. In the summer, the chances are that you'll find a music festival, a market or a funfair. Incidentally, the town of Vlissingen is very easy to reach; from Amsterdam, the Intercity will bring you directly to Vlissingen in three hours. The station lies directly by the sea, and you can travel light and go directly to the center via the beach promenade (or take the bus). You can get there by car via the A58 to Vlissingen, which crosses the entire Walcheren Peninsula. Parking fees are in force in the town center and on the boulevard from April to October.

Trip destinations in the surrounding area

Have you visited the healing resorts of Cadzand and Domburg? Both are known for their clean kilometer-long sandy beaches and wellness offers. Other highlights of the Zeeland coast are the child-friendly resort of Oostkapelle and the picturesque village of Renesse , which also borders a long sandy beach. The city of Middelburg, the capital of Zeeland, possesses a historic charm with its canal houses and twisting lanes. And - as stated above - a trip to Breskens by passenger ferry is one of the loveliest day trips from Vlissingen. Incidentally, you can also take your bicycle onto the ferry, meaning that you can explore a piece of the mainland of Zeeland, Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, by bicycle.

Vacation homes and hotels in Vlissingen

In Vlissingen and in the neighboring resorts of Zoutelande and Domburg, you can find plenty of comfortable hotels located right next to the beach. The loveliest places to stay in Vlissingen are definitely the boulevard hotels, such as the Amadore Hotel Arion, with hotel bedrooms that give a view onto the beach and the Westerschelde with freighters rolling by.