Between the Dollard and the Wadden Sea, Delfzijl combines beaches and maritime themes with museums, historic sites, and theater. A walk from the town center along the Diekloper leads to a large beach. This gives you the choice of spending time by the water or focusing on cultural attractions as you plan your visit.

Beach, Dollard, and Cycling Tour

At Delfzijl’s beach, you can swim in the Dollard and build sandcastles. The route along the Diekloper leads there from the center, so you can combine a walk with time by the water. You can also experience the coastal setting from the water: from Delfzijl, you can take a boat onto the Dollard, which is described there as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A cycling trip offers a different perspective. The passenger ship “Dollard” is at the heart of a cross-border cycling tour. The ferry service lets you cross the bay by bike. Schedules are seasonal, so check the timetable for your intended travel date.

Museums Between Nature and Local History

MuzeeAquarium combines natural history and cultural history collections with an aquarium. It displays fish and other marine animals from the Wadden Sea and the North Sea. The natural history exhibit also covers rocks, minerals, soil structure, and fossils. The marine aquarium is housed in an original ammunition bunker from the Second World War. Nature, cultural history, and the history of the building are presented side by side.

The small museum ’t Hoeske van opoe Iet displays everyday objects used by earlier generations between 1735 and 1940/50. The collection is spread across seven rooms, each arranged around a different theme. Visits on other days are by arrangement; check in advance whether a visit is possible on your chosen date.

Industrial History and Historic Traces

Steenfabriek Fivelmonde was founded in 1862. The building is fully preserved, but production has ceased. Today, the brickworks serves as a center for cultural, educational, and tourist activities. Here, the history of a former production site meets its present-day use.

De Adam is a grain mill on Molenbergplein. The Kleine Waterpoort is also one of Delfzijl’s notable historic landmarks; it is also known as De Ruyterpoort. The name dates back to 1665, when the West India Company fleet came ashore in Delfzijl thanks to Michiel de Ruyter. Another way to explore the town’s history is the “Delfzijl Pocket” route. It leads to monuments, bunkers, and other surviving traces of the fierce fighting.

Program and Seasonal Dates

Theater De Molenberg hosts more than 100 performances each year, including professional, amateur, and school productions. Film screenings are also held, and the program changes. Delfzijl holds a spring market every year, but the dates vary. If you want to plan your trip around the market, check the exact dates in advance.

The different highlights are easy to distinguish when planning your trip: the beach, boat, and cycling tour offer time on the Dollard and on the water, while MuzeeAquarium, historic sites, and theater provide other points of interest. This lets you choose Delfzijl according to the themes you want to focus on during your stay.

Discover more destinations: Wagenborgen, Termunten, Termunterzijl

Go to the main travel overview: Delfzijl.