Travel Guide Walcheren

Inhabited since Roman times, the island of Walcheren derives its name from wahl, a Germanic word for the local population that was gradually romanized. The island was submerged many times during its history and remained uninhabited during the 3rd and 4th centuries. It became an island after the 4th century, after Zeeland was submerged. Today it is a peninsula, bordering the municipalities of Zuid-Beveland. It is the most densely populated island of Zeeland. It was occupied by Nazi Germany. In 1953 the terrible floods hit the region and the island was protected for the most part by renovated dikes. The 3 municipalities are Vlissingen, Middelburg and Veere.