In this striking tower on the Oosterschelde, you can hear the saga about the village of Koudekerke. At the end of the 15th century, the sea dyke was 3 kilometres into the Oosterschelde. There were 14 very prosperous villages in this area, of which Koudekerke was one. Without the delta works, storms got a grip on the land and swept away dykes. Between 1475 and 1650, 3500 hectares of fertile polder land with 14 villages disappeared. Koudekerke ended up outside the dike and was demolished to reuse the building materials inside the dike. Only the 23-metre-high church tower was retained as a beacon for the busy shipping traffic on the Oosterschelde. Today, the tower is a national monument and free to visit daily (open from 9am-6pm and until 5pm in winter). Some 35,000 visitors come here every year, making De Plompe Toren one of Zeeland’s most popular monuments. In the climb up, you will experience the special history of this tower. Once at the top, you can enjoy the impressive view and can often see the seals on the sandbanks. And of course, don’t forget to provide yourself with evidence by means of the stamp placed at the top of the tower 😉