Long, fine sandy beaches and its location on the coast of Zeeland Flanders, the sunniest region in the Netherlands, and the nature reserve “De Verdronken Zwarte Polder” make Nieuwvliet Bad a peaceful and popular holiday destination for families. Modern and spacious holiday home parks directly by the sea and quietly situated campsites in the polder hinterland offer accommodation comfort for a wide range of interests. Everywhere on the multi-award-winning sandy beach of Nieuwvliet-Bad, posts with symbols visible from afar give children orientation, beach pavilions provide catering on the beach. The small quaint polder village of Nieuwvliet, popularly known as “Sinte Pier”, has only 454 inhabitants and offers a windmill dating back to 1850 as a place of interest. The surroundings of the village and seaside resort attract visitors with a well-signposted network of cycling and hiking trails and scenic jogging and trim routes.
Nieuwvliet Bad
Nieuwvliet windmill
Situated on a hill – once at the edge of the village of Nieuwvliet, today right next to a campsite – the windmill in Nieuwvliet-Dorp is a visual highlight. Its enormous wings appear even more powerful than they already are due to their length of almost 24 metres, because of the nearby buildings. And during visiting hours, you can watch live how the miller adjusts the mill and its four blades to the wind direction.
Het Koekoeksnest” museum café
In the middle of the polder on the St. Jansdijk near Nieuwvliet lies an unusual former farm: the museum café “Het Koekoeksnest”. The “Cuckoo’s Nest” is an authentically restored farmhouse with two barns and former piggery dating from 1850. Where once farmers earned their bread with livestock and farming, there is now a museum café, restaurant and garden café with shady trees: Inside filled with the craziest and most bizarre things collected by owner and artist Ronald Spiessens.
Museum “De Karrekasse”
Since 2014, the traditional costume of Cadzand, the “Cadsandse Tracht”, the last surviving traditional costume of Zeeland-Flanders, has a permanent exhibition space in Nieuwvliet village in the museum “De Karrekasse”. Visitors are presented with the traditional clothing of the men and women of Flanders in five rooms on two floors and in the cellar in an authentic residential house from 1912. In scenes from everyday life and on original dressed dolls, the volunteer museum guides explain the home furnishings, clothing and jewellery from the time when there was no running water or electricity in the houses of Cadzand.
Groede Podium” play and learning park
Actually, concrete bunkers from the Second World War and children’s playgrounds don’t really go together. But between the village of Groede and the beach in the “Groede Podium” play and learning park, a playground for children and an information park for adults come together in a playful and naturally informal way. For “Groede Podium” consists of former Atlantikwall bunkers in a small wood in the middle of the Groede polders, around which a park-like children’s playground with an information centre on World War II has been built since the beginning of 2009.
Zwarte Polder” nature reserve
“De verdronken zwarte Polder” near Nieuwvliet-Bad is a polder reclaimed from the sea and diked in 1623, which the North Sea reclaimed in a great storm surge in 1802: The dike broke and the land was flooded through the resulting hole. Over the past four centuries, a typical ecosystem has formed due to the permanent ebb and flow of the tide and the constant inflow and outflow of salty seawater through the “slufter”, an opening in the dunes.
De Knokkert” nature reserve
A good example of renaturation and nature conservation in Zeeland Flanders is the “Forest of Erasmus”, also called “De Knokkert“, near Nieuwvliet-Bad. Around the old farm of farmer David Erasmus on the Strijdersgatspolder between Cadzand, Zuidzande and Nieuwvliet, the “Staatsbosbeheer” – the state forestry administration of the Netherlands – created a diverse forest with marked hiking trails in 1971. Now over 40 years old and covering 27 hectares, the “Bos van Erasmus” consists of beech, poplar, ash and maple trees and is home to many animal species such as the eagle owl, goshawk, fox and spotted woodpecker.
Groese Polders” nature reserve
The “Groese Polders” are a collection of several small polders north of Nieuwvliet village, east of Nieuwvliet bath and northwest of Groede. The area south of the Zeeweg has been renaturalised in recent years: The “Zwarte Gatsche Kreek”, a larger stream, runs through the polders from west to east; several walking, cycling and hiking trails invite you to explore and experience the Zeeland fauna and flora.
Beach pavilion “De Boekanier
Directly on the northern beach of Nieuwvliet-Bad, holidaymakers can expect an extensive food and drink menu in the two-storey beach pavilion “De Boekanier”, especially when it comes to tapas: around 18 different small and larger delicacies such as calamari fritti, freshly marinated tuna or nachos with cheese au gratin with salsa and guacomole.
Beach pavilion “De Strandganger
The beach pavilion “De Strandganger” in Nieuwvliet-Bad is situated at the foot of the northern dune foothills of the nature reserve “Verdronken Zwarte Polder”. In front of the former small beach pavilion “Saint Pierre” at the beach crossing 17 “‘t Vingerling”, the restaurant, new since 2018, offers an extensive food and beverage programme with a frontal view of the sea from the dining room and from the southwest terrace onto the “Verdronken Zwarte Polder”. The menu starts with waffles and pancakes, small snacks like “borrelhappjes” – shrimp and bitter balls or nachos – and salads, continues with hamburgers and has an extensive selection of main courses like North Sea fish pan, Lotte, spare ribs with garlic and barbecue sauce, filet mignon or duck breast fillet. The little ones are also catered for: five different children’s plates await hungry mini beach goers. The drinks menu at Strandpaviljoen “De Strandganger” in Nieuwvliet-Bad lists seven beers, freshly tapped from the barrel as well as non-alcoholic, and of course a varied range of non-alcoholic hot and cold drinks.
Restaurant Rotisserie Grenzeloos, Zwinstraat, Retranchement
Retranchement is located between Knokke (Belgium) and Cadzand Bad (Netherlands), only 10 minutes from Nieuwvliet-Bad. Here you can look forward to an unusual cuisine fresh from the grill and a beautiful outdoor terrace. Nice, rustic and smart.
Piazza, Italian Kitchen, Nieuwvliet
Fresh, authentic and full of experiences, the Piazza restaurant offers a wide range of Italian specialities. For children, there is a large indoor playground directly adjacent to the restaurant.
l’Angolo, Cadzand-Dorp
Small but nice, the best pizza in Cadzand-Dorp. Mediterranean gastro culture with a feel-good ambience.
Shopping
A large selection of restaurants can be found in Sluis and Knokke in Belgium, which is only 15 minutes away. Here you can find everything a gourmet’s heart desires.
Summer market in Nieuwvliet-Bad and surroundings
During the holiday season from Easter to autumn, summer markets and “Streekmarkte” are held regularly in Nieuwvliet-Bad and the surrounding neighbouring villages, with a mix of offers that varies from place to place: The mobile market stalls in the open air mainly present and sell regional food, inexpensive clothing, poffertjes and herrings, shoes and toys.
Fietsverhurr Nieuwvliet, Zouterik 6, Nieuwvliet in St. Pierre Park
Bike Store Breskens – sale and rental
The “Bike Store Breskens” offers a wide range of used and new bikes of all kinds for sale and rental: city bikes, sporty all-terrain bikes, fast racing bikes and electric bikes.
