Plompe Tower
Plompetoren

**Uncover the history of this church tower and the village that once stood here. Discover a great view of Zeeland whilst you’re at it! **

Check out this hidden, or not so hidden gem, towering above the Zeeland landscape on Schouwen-Duiveland. It’s the only building that remains from the prosperous fishing village that once existed here. The 14th century structure was actually part of the village’s old church.

Koudekerke was the name of the doomed village. Back in the day, there were none of Dutch’s famed water management systems in place. One day a storm hit, a dike failed and Koudekerke was demolished by the floods. Only the tower remained. Afterwards, it was left to act as a landmark for the Oosterschedle’s shipping traffic.

In fact, in the 15th century the coastline and seawall was 3km further back than it is today. Between 1475 and 1650, 14 villages were destroyed in the same way and over 3500 hectares of fertile land disappeared.

• Enjoy the View: Head up the 23 meter high tower and learn the tower’s history on the way up. You’ll be rewarded with panoramic views over the green Zeeland landscape.
• The Legend Goes: Discover the tale of a vengeful merman who cursed the village after they captured his mermaid wife to put on display. She eventually died and in his anger the merman put a curse on the village, which soon after was swept away by the storm.
• Bird’s Eyes View: Scouting out birds on the top of this gem is a must for birdwatching fans