(Be)Leefbare Schelde

ongoing

The Scheldt estuary forms a unique geological unit that connects the border region between Flanders and the Netherlands. The region has a common cultural history, but also a shared common challenge for the future. It requires strong cooperation in order to be able to profile the project area as a top tourist destination. Discover the hidden gem: the Schelde estuary, a nature reserve that connects Flanders and the Netherlands! (Be)Leefbare Schelde is aimed at obtaining UNESCO Geopark status for the area. The aim is to shift the tourist pressure from the coast to the inland and increase the tourist offer in the region. Sustainability and involvement of residents and stakeholders are central to the development of the tourist offer. The project includes renovation and development of tourist pearls and gates (including Grenspark Groot Saeftinghe), the development of slow connection routes and the development of an integrated strategy for connecting and opening the area. Important for the connection is the further development of the ‘7 storylines for the Geopark’ about the present, past and future of the area such as ‘Silt and Sweet’, Climate of all times’ and ‘Life with the water’. For example, the drowned city of Reymerswael in Zeeland will be developed as Pearl, and it acts as a smaller anchorage where, thanks to the reconstruction of the old foundations and the realisation of an exhibition in collaboration with museum Boijmans van Beuningen, the city will be made visible again. In one of the Poorten, namely the Watersnood Museum, an exhibition will be realised about hydraulic engineering in the Scheldt region throughout history. The exhibition shows how water shaped our societies and how we can live safely with the water. As Poort, the museum offers an entry point where visitors get to know the broader story of the Delta. With research into tourist data, the inventory of existing and development of new tools, the project aims to target the distribution of tourists across the region. An integrated area-wide strategy and action plan is being developed.

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