Zeeland + Water Defences

Flood control is an important issue for the Netherlands, as about two thirds of its area is vulnerable to flooding. Sand dunes and constructed dikes and dams provide defense against storm surges from the sea. Today HollandDutchTours.nl takes you to the province of Zeeland (Sealand). Here you can find the largest water defense systems of the world. During the North Sea flood of 1953 more than 1800 people died in Zeeland. After this disaster a Delta Works Commission was installed to research the causes and develop measures to prevent such disasters in the future. They revised some of the old plans and came up with the "Deltaplan".The water works consist of dams, sluices, locks, dykes, levees, and storm surge barriers. 

We visit the National Monument Watersnood 1953 and also the Neeltje Jans were the Delta Works are viewable in many ways. Our guide will drive you over the dikes, bridges and dams and tells about the development of de Delta Works. Zeeland is also the region were ships started sailing all over the world in the 17th century. In the village of Zierikzee the old harbour and the houses are silent memories of those glorious days.