The “Vulendieke” Gravel Ride picked up from Braakman (Terneuzen) in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen

Route Description

For this Gravelnomads gravel ride I’m back in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen for the Vuulendieke loop, one of my favorites in this corner of the Netherlands. Normally I start this one from Schoondijke, but this time I picked it up from Terneuzen, rolling out through Braakman Noord to join the route partway in. The origin of the route comes from a local village fair named the “Moaneblussers Feesten” in Schoondijke, so credits to the organizers there.

Zeeuws-Vlaanderen is a bit of a hidden gem for gravel riding. It doesn’t have hills or forests, but it makes up for it with quiet villages and an endless network of dikes, each one with a gravel road running along the top, or tucked in on one side or the other. From Braakman Noord the route heads west past Biervliet, through the polders towards Schoondijke, the village that’s the original starting point for this gravel route.

From there it keeps rolling west towards Sluis and Cadzand, and this is where the ride really opens up. I always try to find the little detours that break off from the main dikes and sneak in behind the sea wall, and on this ride the Westerschelde did not disappoint. Riding along the coast near Breskens and Nieuwvliet, with the estuary opening up on one side and the dike gravel underneath you, is about as good as it gets around here.

The return leg swings back east through Hoofdplaat and Biervliet, closing the loop back to Terneuzen. 97km in total, nearly flat as you’d expect from Zeeland, but a proper day in the saddle all the same. A beautiful day out, and a route I’ll happily keep coming back to.

• Tip: Part of this route runs outside the Westerschelde water works. Some exceptional high tides it may be unavailable. Just ride the inside if this is the case.
• Tip: You can just as easily start this loop from the west (Schoondijke, Sluis, Oostburg) if that's more convenient than Terneuzen/Braakman Noord.
• Tip: There are some WOll bunkers and remains at "Groede Podium" which is also a nice place to stop for drinks. Groede Podium