Visitor Centre 't Zwin – Retranchement (NL)

High tide and natural abundance

The Zwin is an important nature reserve with mudflats and salt marshes, cut in half by a national border. During spring tides and storm surges, it is flooded by the sea. In spring, thousands of birds have their nesting place here. And in the autumn it is visited by winterers from the far north.

Before you go to see the Zwin, it is best to enter the Visitor Center. There they tell about shark teeth (sometimes up to fifteen million years old). You can look for them on the beach itself. Moreover, you can learn all about the shells in the Zwin. By the way, they are there for the taking.

Never experienced the Zwin at night? You can do so in the visitor centre, where you can hear the sound of the barn owl, the tree frog and the pipistrelle. Curious about how ebb and flow work? That is also possible in the center. And in one fell swoop, the centre informs you about the different types of dunes, the salt marshes and mudflats and the many birds that live in those biotopes.

Of course, attention is also paid to people. The Zwin has brought great prosperity to the region. In the Middle Ages, the Zwin was a wide stream of water with rich trading towns and towns. Later came the decline.

The stories are not only told, but you can also experience them yourself: rowing along the Zwin cities, grabbing for shark teeth and shells, experiencing the Zwin at night and playing with the water tides, ebb and flow. All in all, a fascinating story inside about a unique area outside.

Address
Visitor Centre 't Zwin
Gerrit van Hoekestraat 2
NL-4525 NH Retranchement
Phone: +31 (0) 117 39 22 21 and 45 71 62
Fax: + 31 (0) 117 39 29 83
Email: bezoekerscentrum@planet.nl

Practical information
Open
From 14 April to 1 September
- Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
- Sunday from 12.00-17.00
From 2 September to 29 October
- Tuesday to Sunday 12.00-17.00
Open all year round for groups by appointment
Rates
Adult: €2.00
Child, 65+ and groups (minimum 10 people): € 1.00
Family ticket (maximum 2 adults + 4 children): €4.50
Guided tours: Yes, on request
- Accessible to less mobile visitors: Yes

Ontdek de Zwinregio