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Along the routes of the Zwinstreek
A fully wheelchair-accessible hotel in the polders, with tidal wetlands and extensive woodland nearby.
Yes, please >
Between Bruges and the coast lies a powerful trio: a wheelchair-accessible hotel as a base, the Zwin Nature Park on the coast, and the largest forest in East Flanders further inland. Accommodation, nature and facilities are all perfectly coordinated here. A truly memorable experience for the whole family.
The place
Domein Polderwind in Zuienkerke is a fully wheelchair-accessible hotel in the heart of the polders, built by the Red Cross Flanders out of a firm conviction: there was a lack of accessible holiday destinations in Flanders, and everyone deserves a holiday.
There are two nature reserves nearby. The Zwin Nature Park, a cross-border tidal landscape of mudflats, salt marshes and bird-rich plains, is renowned for its work on accessibility. A little further inland lies the Drongengoedbos, the largest woodland complex in East Flanders, where you can hire off-road wheelchairs through the ‘Rolstoeldelen’ scheme.
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The accommodation
Polderwind offers a fully accessible holiday experience: spacious rooms, adapted bathrooms and wide circulation areas that allow guests to move around independently. The site has been designed to facilitate the smooth use of wheelchairs, hoists or walking frames, with extra space for storing or loading them.
There’s more than just accommodation: specially adapted wellness and relaxation areas, and a lake where you can take a trip on a pedalo, either on your own or with assistance. The surrounding area is flat and peaceful — providing a relaxed, safe base from which to explore.
The activities
From Polderwind, the countryside stretches out in two directions: towards the coast and towards the woods.
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Zwin Nature Park
The tarmac-surfaced routes through the visitor centre and the hut trail are wheelchair-accessible. If you’d like to venture further into the tidal landscape — to the mudflats, salt marshes and dunes — you can book an all-terrain wheelchair free of charge, so that softer ground is also accessible. Beach wheelchairs are also available on the coast.
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Drongengoed Forest
Thanks to the ‘Wheelchair Sharing’ initiative organised by The Four-Leaf Clover Here, you can hire an off-road wheelchair at an affordable price (for half a day or a full day) that can handle sand, tree roots, grass and gentle slopes. This allows you to explore woods, heathland and open fields in the largest contiguous woodland area in East Flanders — tranquillity, nature and variety within easy reach.
Is there accessible nature in your area too?
Do you work for a tourist board, local authority or regional organisation, and would you like to make nature accessible in your area too? Our centre of expertise can help you get started.