Vlissingen, The Netherlands (2025)

We loved staying at Hotel 'De Zeevaartschool' in the town of Vlissingen, the Netherlands. It was originally built as a maritime school in 1952 where my father had his education to become a mechanical engineer on ships.

It has been transformed into a stylish 70-room hotel, preserving historic features such as the staircase. The project combines heritage with modern hospitality at a location on the Vlissingen coast and aims to create a unique atmosphere where maritime history meets comfort. 

The original staircase in Hotel 'De Zeevaartschool' in the town of Vlissingen, the Netherlands. Except for the light fixtures nothing was changed. This hotel used to be a maritime institute where my father had his education.

When we went for an afternoon walk on the boulevard in the town of Vlissingen, the Netherlands we noticed these lovely blue and yellow houses. It reminded us of the colourful houses one would normally find in the Caribbean.

The artwork 'Eruption' in the town of Vlissingen, the Netherlands is a minimalist sculpture consisting of two meters-high steel columns rising from the water, each with V-shaped slots. The sculpture is designed so that with rising tide and a southwesterly wind, the water is propelled into the slots, with a force that causes the water to spray back up like clouds. 'Eruption' thus represents the power and activity of the sea, and the interplay between nature, humanity, and technology. 

A statue designed by Jan Haas of a student from the maritime school in the town of Vlissingen, the Netherlands wearing the uniform common until 1988. The students were called 'blikken' (cans) in the city.  The name 'Blik' (Can) for the Maritime School students wasn't derived from the cap emblem, but from the hazing ritual. New students had to tie a can to their ankle with a rope about 30 cm long and carry it around during the hazing period.

We loved this colourful row of beach cottages on a beach near the town of Vlissingen in the Netherlands. I remember them well as my parents had one when I grew up here. They were set up every year at the beginning of the season and allowed people to store their stuff without having to constantly taking it with them every time they went to the beach.

This path through the dunes near the town of Vlissingen in the Netherlands continues for many kilometres going up and down following the height of the dunes. Cycling or walking the path is very rewarding with changing views of both the sea and the land behind the dunes.

One of the best things about being in the town of Vlissingen in the Netherlands is the ability to see various huge ships passing to and from the harbour of Vlissingen and even to Antwerp in Belgium. Since the fairway is so close to the coast it's a delight for ship enthusiasts.

This heavy crane ship passing is the Gulliver. The vessel, completed in Vlissingen, is equipped with two Huisman cranes with a total lifting capacity of 4,000 tons, a dynamic positioning system (DP2), and a moon pool for an ROV for seabed operations. The Gulliver is deployed for the installation of offshore infrastructure and wind farms, as well as for decommissioning and other heavy lifting activities.

While staying in Vlissingen we spent an afternoon to visit the nearby town of Middelburg in the Netherlands. We took a tour boat cruising the various canals while getting interesting background information about the many trading houses we passed. Here we are going through the old locks at the Spinhuisbrug.

The Spijkerbrug is a bascule bridge and national monument in the town of Middelburg in the province of Zeeland, the Netherlands. The bridge has iron balustrades and ornately decorated wheels of the lifting mechanism. Lanterns stand on the four bridge piers. The bridge was declared a national monument in 1976.

The town hall in the town of Middelburg, the Netherlands is a stately late Gothic building on the central square, built between 1452 and 1520 by the Keldermans family of architects. It was severely damaged during the 1940 bombing, but has since been largely restored to its original style. Today, it houses a university college, while the former meat hall serves as an art center for exhibitions.

We loved these massive red doors of the Gasthuiskerk (Hospital Church) in the town of Middelburg, the Netherlands. It was originally the chapel of the St. Barbara's Hospice which dates back to the early 14th century. Church services are still being held every Sunday at 9:30 and 16:30.

We really liked this historic facade on one of the many medieval buildings in the town of Middelburg, the Netherlands.

While on quite a busy street we passed a gate and were surprised to be transported back in time to this very quiet courtyard in the Korte Giststraat in the town of Middelburg, the Netherlands.

I had my fair share of jellyfish encounters while growing up as a child in the town of Vlissingen, the Netherlands. And while I admired the beauty of this washed-up jellyfish it did bring back memories of those sometimes painful encounters.