Hertogin Hedwigepolder

Hertogin Hedwigepolder is a polder in eastern Zealandic Flanders covering roughly 3 square kilometers of reclaimed land. The area features typical low-lying terrain with drainage ditches and flat agricultural fields that extend to its borders.

The area was first diked before the Eighty Years' War, deliberately flooded by Dutch soldiers in 1584, and reclaimed again in 1907 as the last water-conquered territory in the region. This cycle of military defense and recovery shaped its development over several centuries.

Street names within the polder honor Duke Engelbert IX of Arenberg and Duchess Hedwige de Ligne along with their children. These names shape how locals and visitors experience the landscape and its connection to regional nobility.

The polder is flat and easily crossed on foot or by bicycle along its straight roads, making exploration straightforward even for casual visitors. The open landscape offers little shelter from wind and weather, so dress appropriately for exposure to the elements.

In 2022, the Dutch government began deliberately reflooding the polder to restore it to its natural state as part of environmental recovery efforts. This reversal of traditional land reclamation shows how the region is changing its relationship with water management.