See authentic Dutch windmills, witness how the Dutch keep the sea at bay, meet the seals and sample freshly caught North Sea shrimps in this little harbour village.
Stellendam, just west of Hellevoetsluis, is the youngest addition to the municipality of Goeree-Overflakkee. The area’s constant battle against rising sea waters is seen in its memorial sculptures, its ingenious sea walls and its marine rescue station.
The village used to have a busy harbour where fishing boats and freight ships came and went all day. During the big floods of 1808, 1823, 1824 and finally 1953, many houses and people were swallowed by the sea.
This threat was averted by the Deltawerken, a series of water management dams and sluices. The Haringvlietdam in Stellendam is the sixth of the Deltawerken and separates the freshwater lake of Haringvliet from the North Sea. The name of the nearby restaurant, Zoet of Zout (Sweet or Salty), reflects its location between these bodies of water.
While freight ships can no longer connect to the North Sea here, some fishing boats remain and the harbour still has a Visafslag, a place where fishermen come to trade their fish.
Browse the Marina Stellendam, one of the few Dutch marinas with direct access to the North Sea. See leisure boats, let the kids run around in the playground and find a table in the scenic restaurant. Make sure to order the “Stellendammer garnalen." These locally peeled shrimps were once the livelihood of this small town.
Don’t miss the nearby A Seal Zeehondenopvang en Expo, a shelter where lost and sick seals find a temporary home. Become a seal carer for the day or simply meet the playful residents during a short tour. Learn how to tell the difference between grey and regular seals and ask about the best spots to see these cute marine mammals in the wild.
After exploring the coastline, delve into the central streets of Stellendam. In 1782 a man named Iman Cau built the village’s first house, a hotel and council rooms in one. Nowadays it is a café and restaurant named Het wapen van Stellendam. Cau also laid the first stone of the church in 1819, his second generous gift to the town. You can’t miss the white-painted mill Korenlust, which dates back to 1857 as it can be seen from all over town.
