Netherlands' largest national park protecting a dynamic tidal marine landscape
Oosterschelde National Park
Oosterschelde National Park is the largest national park in the Netherlands, established on May 8, 2002. Located in the Dutch province of Zeeland, the park encompasses the Eastern Scheldt (Oosterschelde), a vast tidal lagoon system along with several adjacent water bodies including Keeten-Mastgat, Krabbenkreek, Zijpe, Slaak, and Krammer. The park covers approximately 37,000 hectares, with about 350 square kilometers lying outside the protective dikes. This dynamic marine environment is characterized by its tidal flats, sandbanks, and salt marshes that emerge and disappear with the twice-daily tidal cycles, creating one of the most productive and ecologically significant coastal ecosystems in Western Europe.
The park is surrounded by the islands of Schouwen-Duiveland, Tholen, Zuid-Beveland, and Noord-Beveland, all of which form part of the distinctive Zeeland landscape. The Zeeland Bridge, an impressive engineering structure, crosses through the national park, connecting the various islands and providing visitors with panoramic views of the tidal landscape. The area's geography has been profoundly shaped by centuries of human intervention, including the construction of the massive Oosterscheldekering storm surge barrier in 1986, which fundamentally altered the hydrology of the Eastern Scheldt while still preserving the marine environment's essential character.
Oosterschelde National Park represents a unique conservation challenge and success story, where a working marine landscape has been integrated with nature protection. The park supports exceptional biodiversity in both its underwater and above-water environments, making it a destination of particular significance for marine conservation, birdwatching, and recreational activities such as sport diving.
