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Breskens

Field	Value
name	Breskens
settlement_type	Harbour town
other_name
native_name
native_name_lang	nl
image_skyline	File:Promenade breskens 259.JPG
image_caption	The promenade of Breskens
image_flag	Flag of Breskens.svg
image_shield	Breskens wapen.svg
pushpin_map	Netherlands Zeeland#Netherlands
pushpin_label_position	right
pushpin_mapsize	250
pushpin_map_caption	Location in the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	Netherlands
subdivision_type1	Province
subdivision_name1	Zeeland
subdivision_type2	Municipality
subdivision_name2	Sluis
elevation_footnotes
elevation_m	2.8
area_footnotes
area_total_km2	14.23
population_footnotes
population_total	4,630
population_as_of	2021
population_density_km2	auto
timezone	CET
utc_offset	+1
timezone_DST	CEST
utc_offset_DST	+2
postal_code_type	Postal code
postal_code	4511
area_code_type	Dialing code
area_code	0111
coordinates

Breskens is a harbour town on the Westerschelde in the municipality of Sluis, Netherlands. Its population is 4,787 (), and it's 2.8 m (9.2 ft) above sea level.

The town is noted for the Visserijfeesten (Fishery Festival), the largest festival in Zeeland.

A ferry connection exists between Breskens and Vlissingen. After the opening of the Western Scheldt Tunnel near Terneuzen in 2003, the ferry now only carries pedestrian and bicycle traffic.

Sights

The lighthouse of Breskens is the oldest remaining cast-iron lighthouse in the Netherlands. It was built in 1867 and became a monument in 1982.

History

In early 1487, Maximilian I granted the coastal region of the Scheldt as a fief to Philip of Cleves. The coastal areas were drained and the village of Breskens was founded in 1510.

On 14 May 1940, with the German army approaching, the Dutch government fled to London. Queen Wilhelmina initially ordered the British captain removing her from The Hague to set sail for Breskens from where she wished to lead the resistance against the invading armies. One of the reasons was that Breskens, having two fortresses in the vicinity, could be well defended. She was advised by the captain that he was under orders not to make contact with the Dutch shore as it was under heavy air attack, so Wilhelmina took the decision reluctantly to go to Britain, planning to return as soon as possible.

On 11 September 1944, during Operation Switchback, the town was carpet-bombed by Allied forces, leaving very little of the historical centre intact. After the war, the town was rebuilt and became a centre for the Dutch fish industry and other maritime-related businesses.

In the nineties, with the fish-industry in terminal decline, tourism became the main economic focus and a number of high-rise apartment blocks were built on the waterfront.

Prior to 1 January 2003, the town was incorporated in the municipality of Oostburg.

Gallery

File:Breskens - Le port.jpg|The harbour of Breskens File:Breskens.jpg|Street view in the rain File:Breskens Muziektent R02.jpg|Bandstand File:Vlissingen gesehen vom Deich DroomPark Schoneveld - panoramio.jpg|The beach of Breskens with Vlissingen in the background

References

"Postcodetool for 4511AA". Het Waterschapshuis.
"Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2021".
Plankeel, Huib. (14 August 2014). "Geschiedenis van Breskens 1610–1825".

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

populated-places-in-zeeland former-municipalities-of-zeeland populated-places-established-in-1510 sluis zeelandic-flanders port-cities-and-towns-of-the-north-sea

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