Zierikzee Pension Montmaertre

Zierikzee is such a pretty Netherlands town and harbor, full of fishing boats and schooners, medieval gates, quiet squares, a windmill and water views aplenty – and a few amazing historical monuments. Zierikzee’s Old Harbor is protected by a moat, a canal that encircles the city, with three ancient gates: Zuidhavenpoort (south) Noordhavenpoort (north), and Nobelpoort, all are spectacular entries and exits to the city of 12,000 residents.

We arrived on bikes, part of our beautiful Belgium Netherlands cycle route. Crossing the grand 6-kilometer Zeelandbrug bridge, we could see the City Tower in our approach from across the Sea at the National Park Oosterschelde. After biking past a few fish packaging plants, we were soon entering the City Gates of Zierikzee, over a wooden draw bridge.

We stayed in a quiet part of town, at Pension Montmaertre, just steps from the artistic square Plein Montmaertre. Within walking distance of the harbor and center of Zierikzee, this is a hidden gem of a guesthouse. Pension Montmaertre doesn’t have a big sign, or fancy lobby, its private and special only for those in the know.

Our host Ruud (the antithesis of the English sound of his name by the way) welcomed us in the Pension’s unassuming back courtyard and carpark, where our bikes were thoughtfully safely stored just inside the lodge. With just four rooms, all modern and well-appointed, we opted for the top floor, 2^nd floor, Sky Blue, versus the other rooms named Gold, Green or Earth. Our upper floor was indeed a sky view… with a big picture window looking out to the sights of Zierikzee. In fact, we could see 4 of the Big 5 sights of Zierikzee.

Most notably, from our Sky Blue Suite, we had a perfect view of the historic Dike Tower “Sint Lievensmonstertoren” and Zierikzee’s Stadhuis from the living room space, which includes a kitchen, sitting area with couch, and a wonderful high bar top where we’d sit and enjoy coffee in the morning, or wine in the afternoon overlooking the pretty village rooftops. From our modern bath with walk-in shower, we could see a windmill and the North Gate. Truly views out every corner of this top floor suite. Sunsets over the brick and red tile rooftops were magical from our lofty perch.

Coffee and tea were provided in our Pension suite, and Ruud was happy to give us a Zierikzee map, and suggestions on breakfast spots we could walk to in the morning, like his favorite Meneer Nilsson, or Roekoekoe.

From the Pension, we were just a few blocks from a market to buy any provisions, and a stone’s throw to more shops and cafés than you can enjoy in a week! We loved just strolling the cobblestone alleys Zierikzee (see our review of Zierikzee), popping into pretty boutiques, cheese and pastry shops. The medieval architecture of this wonderful 15^th century village is like something out of a fairytale.

We had a fantastic French inspired lunch just steps from our Pension at nearby Plein Montmaertre square – at Bon Vivant overlooking the cute frog squirting fountain.

We enjoyed afternoon drinks in Haven Park square at Concordia – which seems to be where everyone goes – so we had ideal people-watching in this grand outdoor space overlooking the old harbor.

Another great lunch in Haven Park square was Café de Proeverji, inside the cozy pub style restaurant, where the grilled mussels with frites (fries) were a unique twist on this bountiful local seafood.

Had we not been on bike paths along the sea, and across the amazing 6 kilometers Zeelandbruge bridge, we would have opted to get on board a boat tour, a schooner, to go out and see the incredibly dikes, the shorefront and seals in the Ooostershelde estuary, the harbor and outwards toward the North Sea. Instead, we enjoyed strolling Zierikzee’s pretty streets.

Our first night’s excellent dinner was at Tafalen bij Zeeuws Meisje, translated Dining with the Sea Girl, down by the waterfront and canal. At this romantic, chic evening dinner spot, we enjoyed garlicy shrimp as a starter, followed by local mussels and red snapper, with excellent wines selected by our host Byron.

Dinner at Brasserie de Kaoie our last night was sublime. This fun casual eatery on the docks, just over the drawbridge through Zierikzee’s City Gate, has a commanding view of the harbor. We loved watching boats come in from their sail and tie up along the wharf while we enjoyed cocktails and ordered our dinner. I loved my local salmon dish, Greg had duck. The lively restaurant was busy, but service was very good, and the sunset was gorgeous.

Walking back to Pension Montmaertre, we loved seeing the lights on the grand Stadhuis, and admired folks out and about in cafes enjoying their evening. The twilight city from our Sky Blue suite was magical. We slept well in our comfy bed.

Next morning, we headed out of Zierikzee before any cafes were open, it’s that kind of quiet & sleepy. We were told, you must try the “Zeeuwse Bolussen” – a famed local sweet pastry … so I was bummed to miss the Bolus! But, we were on our bikes to explore more of the Netherlands, on our way to Willemstad, Breda, Bergen op Zoom, and Venlo, to Roermond and Maastricht, before we biked into Belgium on our tour back to Brussels where we began. We’d also biked through Leuven, Mechelen, Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges, and Middelburg, on a 12-day Netherlands bike tour, after already having cycled 10-Days in Belgium – see our Brussels to Bruges bike itinerary.