The best walks and hikes around Reimerswaal

The view of the Oosterschelde can be enjoyed not only at sunset.

The Oosterschelde National Park is visited annually by hundreds of thousands of birds. It is an important area for migratory birds, although many birds can be observed there throughout the year.

The Oosterschelde National Park is visited by hundreds of thousands of birds annually. It is an important area for migratory birds, although many birds can be observed there all year round.

If there is one company that has given a significant boost to Yerseke and the experience of oysters and oyster pits, it is the Oesterij. Jean Dhooge, voted the most prominent hospitality entrepreneur in Zeeland a few years ago, has created the ultimate oyster experience here. Where you used to be able to view the oyster pits from the dike, you can now walk over the authentic pits via a wooden bridge. "There you can see the crates of oysters lying there to purge," says Jean. Purging means that after harvesting, the oysters are temporarily placed in clean, brackish water to get rid of sand and silt, remove harmful substances, and achieve a more refined taste. With a guided tour or your own tour, you can get acquainted with the Oesterij and its history. At the end of the bridge, there is a museum-like setup that shows how an oyster larva grows into an oyster. "We, the Dhooge family business, have specialized in the cultivation of shellfish and crustaceans, and oysters in particular, since the beginning of the twentieth century," says Jean, "and we continue to innovate in our products, marketing, and experience." As an extra reward, the bridge offers beautiful panoramas of the Oosterschelde, vistas that change every hour and in every season. Back in the shop, you can take oysters home with you. In season, you can sometimes also find Oosterschelde lobster in the display tank, from April to mid-July. In September, the Oesterij also organizes the Oyster Festival. In short: for the ultimate oyster, Yerseke, and Zeeland experience, you must visit the Oesterij. www.oesterij.nl

An "automatiek", a wall with warm snacks behind glass compartments, is not a typically Dutch invention, as is often thought. The concept already existed in the 1920s and 1930s in the United States and Germany and became popular in the Netherlands from the 1960s onwards thanks to FEBO. Since then, grabbing a croquette or frikandel from the wall has become commonplace for many, although it remains a special experience for some foreigners. In Zeeland too, the vending machine has now conquered a prominent place. Along many "Zilt Zoet Zeeland" routes, you will encounter variants, and for a long time now, it's not just snacks that come out of the wall. For several years, in the Julianahaven of Yerseke, you can also get mussels from a vending machine, right in the middle of a salty environment. The machine is operated by the Steketee family, third-generation mussel farmers. Jos Steketee, owner, fisherman, processor, and seller, compares his work to sustainable agriculture. "My grandfather already did it: sustainable fishing," he says. "We depend on nature, add nothing, and treat it with respect." This working method has earned the company certification. "This is the only mussel vending machine in the Netherlands," says Jos with due pride. Under the brand name Mosselkoninkjes, the mussels are available in packages of one or two kilos. Why a vending machine? "It's convenient and always available, and customers appreciate that." Sometimes the mussels have to be refilled two or three times a day. Fresh daily, available 24 hours a day, 100 percent Zeeland and organic: this attracts customers from Yerseke and the region, but also from Belgium, Germany, and the rest of the Netherlands. This way, in the Julianahaven, you can literally pull mussels from the wall.

On the Havendijk of Yerseke, overlooking the Oosterschelde, stands a bronze statue that is small in size, but tells a big story: the Mosselman. The man with his characteristic sou'wester hat and basket full of mussels symbolizes generations of Zeelanders who found their livelihood on and around the water. The statue by artist Lou Boonman was unveiled in 1981 by Princess Juliana at the opening of the Koningin Julianahaven. Yerseke is inextricably linked to mussel and oyster culture. What began as small-scale fishing grew into an internationally renowned sector. Even today, ships depart from Yerseke to the cultivation plots in the Oosterschelde and the Wadden Sea. The Mosselman thus stands for more than a profession: it embodies a way of life, where craftsmanship, tradition, and the rhythm of ebb and flow come together. A fitting tribute to the culinary heart of Yerseke. The Mosselman statue is located at the end of Ankerweg.

So, do you know the Mosselman? No? Then you can meet him here, in Yerseke. This statue is the iconic symbol of the mussel and oyster village of Yerseke. Did you know that Yerseke is even home to the only mussel auction in the world?

Wonderful section of the route with water channels on both sides of the path!