Other great attractions are the historic towns of Middelburg, Zierikzee. Hulst and Sluis.
Middelburg, with some 2500 large and small monumental buildings, deserves special attention. Her Town Hall, the Abbey and the quays with the mercantile houses dating from the time of the United East India Company (VOC), founded in 1602 being the first multinational, are extremely beautiful.
Of a small settlement to the Ee in the 10th century Zierikzee developped into a important city, where trade, industry and fishery thrived. By growing prosperity and look to the commonalty of Zierikzee on March 11th 1248 municipal right was granted king Willem II. After the medieval flowering period calamity emergency with fires, shipping disasters, epidemics and floods followed. In the 17th century trade and fishery flowered once again.
BelgiumIn the neighboring country Belgium itself, there are a lot of interesting places to visit. In the sate of Vlaanderen you can find six exciting cities in an hour's travel from the cruise terminal: Brussel, Antwerpen, Gent, Brugge, Mechelen and Leuven. Nowhere you will find so much history and such great art and architecture in such a concentrated form. Gothic and Baroque main squares form the heart of each of these cities. At the cross roads of Europe they all have a cosmopolitan allure yet remained true to their rich medieval heritage. And you are never far away from the next café or the next fabulous Belgian beer.
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