Post card from Zierikzee - parking
This is one of prettiest towns in the Netherlands according to the ‘Tammy Tour Guide’ (link below). The Tammy blog post is a good read and visiting Zierikzee in Zeeland will not disappoint. The built-up area of the town is ~3.0 km², and contains 4,295 residences, giving it a density of 1,431 ppkm2 (link). The nearest 4-lane motorway and train station is 20 km away at Goes. There is a regular half-hour bus service from Rotterdam Zuidplein 40 km away through to Middelburg and four buses per hour to Goes Station. But the easiest way to get to Zierikzee is by car.
Tammy tour guide - Zierikzee – Holland’s Prettiest “City in Miniature”?
There are four public car parking lots with 900 free car parks around the old town of Zierikzee, all within 5 minutes’ walk of the centre. On the rainy morning we visited we parked in one of the last car parks available, and later in the afternoon, when we left, a car was waiting to occupy the car park we were leaving. There are restrictions on car access to the city centre: residents and business owners can buy a 12-month parking permit costing between €30.00 and € 123.00**.
In 1988 my family visited Zierikzee (link to ‘post card from Holland, 1988’). At that time it was technically possible to park in the very centre, but not in reality, as the number of car parks available would never match the number of people visiting. So about half a decade ago ‘To make the ancient town even more attractive, the parking lots for visitors are moved outside the centre ... the open space can now be used for markets, terraces and events’ (BUREAU B+B).
B+B Project change from parking to square
Zierikzee is an interesting place to shop. We visited on a Thursday market day along with many holidaying Germans, who seem to know about this place. The family members we were with spoke mostly in Dutch, we mixed in English, and the Germans; well they spoke German. The shopkeepers would speak in whatever language the customer spoke and the mix of shops ranged from stalls trying to take market share from brand shops near the centre to a good number of small shops, especially those selling unique selections of merchandise, down side alleys, mixed in with residential housing.