Hulst, Medieval fortified town in Zeelandic Flanders, Netherlands.
Hulst is a walled town in the province of Zeeland, close to the Belgian border, and also the seat of a municipality that groups together about fifteen smaller villages. The historic center is enclosed by earthen ramparts and bastions that form a nearly complete ring around the old town.
Hulst grew as a border fortress between the counties of Holland and Flanders during the medieval period, changing hands several times over the centuries. In 1645, Dutch forces took the town and rebuilt its defenses in the bastion style, shaping the ring of walls still visible today.
A bronze statue of Reynard the Fox stands near the Gentse Poort gate, referencing a medieval story that spread across Europe. The fox character appears on signs, in shop windows, and in the general look of the town center, giving it a recognizable identity.
The walled center is compact and easy to walk through, and the path along the ramparts gives a good sense of the town's layout. The surrounding villages that make up the municipality are spread out, so a car is helpful if you want to visit more than the main town.
Just outside the town lies the Verdronken Land van Saeftinghe, a salt marsh area that formed after major floods in the 16th century swallowed the land and were never reversed. It can only be entered with a guided group, making it one of the few places in the region where the tidal landscape has remained untouched for centuries.
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