The Scheldt flows not only through the landscape, but also through our story.
From its source in Gouy, northern France, to its mouth in the North Sea, the Scheldt is a river of connection. Countries, people, nature reserves, villages and cities. Everything in the Geopark Schelde Delta is linked to her in some way.
She is both the geographical and symbolic backbone of the Geopark. To understand the landscape, you must start with the Scheldt.
The Scheldt is unique. Not only because it is one of the few tidal rivers in Europe where the effects of ebb and flow are felt far inland, but also because it constantly changes character. From a narrow, winding river in Flanders to a wide estuary in Zeeland. It is calm and wild, controlled and unpredictable.
Over thousands of years, the Scheldt shaped the landscape of the delta. After the Ice Age, it left behind sandy ridges, caused floods that formed mudflats and salt marshes, and created marshes, creeks, and polders. At the same time, humans tried to control it—building dikes, locks, canals, and defensive lines.
Without the Scheldt, there would be no fortified city of Hulst, no ring ramparts in Zeeland, no port of Antwerp, and no drowned villages like Reimerswaal. We may not always realize it, but the river has given us more than we know.
The Scheldt is not only vital to people, but also to countless species of plants and animals. Mudflats and salt marshes like those in Saeftinghe, Hooge Platen, or the Polders of Kruibeke serve as breeding grounds and feeding areas for birds, fish, and mammals. Thanks to its brackish water, species thrive here that can’t survive anywhere else. Think of tiny crabs, shrimps and other shellfish, but also birds like the avocet, spoonbill, and little tern. You'll also find sea lavender, samphire and sea aster along the Scheldt. Together, they show how essential this river is for biodiversity.
From Romans to Norsemen, from Cistercians to the Sea Beggars, from merchants to soldiers—the Scheldt is a river of memories. Along its banks, traces of conflict and cooperation, construction and defense, decline and renewal are everywhere to be found.
The Scheldt remains indispensable. It is a waterway, nature reserve, climate buffer, and living environment all at once. This calls for balance: between safety and space for the river, between economic interests and ecological resilience. That’s why major efforts are underway, such as the Sigma Plan in Flanders and the Western Scheldt development in Zeeland.