Holiday apartment in Sint Kruis: Creeks, village culture and cycling

Sint Kruis combines a water-rich landscape with a distinctive village culture. The creeks around the village, the historic Kruiskerk and traditional customs are among the specific features of Sint Kruis. Village culture includes the Peperbusse song and sporting traditions centred around Krulbollen and Gaaischieten. Traces of the first farmers who settled near Sint Kruis are also part of the village’s history.

Creeks and fields around Sint Kruis

Sint Kruis is surrounded by creeks. The Sint Kruiskreek meanders from the village of Sint Kruis in the south towards the Grote Boomdijk in the north. The southern village area and the northern direction towards the Grote Boomdijk form part of the course of the same creek. When cycling around Sint Kruis, you ride peacefully between fields criss-crossed by rustic creeks. The village, creek and compass directions provide clear points of reference for navigating while cycling. The route thus connects the southern village area with the northern direction towards the Grote Boomdijk, while keeping the fields and creeks in view. On a cycling tour, the Sint Kruiskreek can therefore be followed as a continuous landscape feature, from the village in the south towards the Grote Boomdijk in the north. At the beginning of summer, when the wheat and flax begin to ripen, the landscape around Sint Kruis is particularly appealing. Ripening wheat and flax add a seasonal accent alongside the creeks.

Kruiskerk, the Peperbusse song and village history

The historic Kruiskerk (PKN) church building in Sint Kruis is popularly known as “De Peperbusse”. The Peperbusse song is associated with a fixed annual occasion: it is sung every year during the festival weekend in Sint-Kruis at an ecumenical service held in tents. The song is part of the festival weekend; the name “De Peperbusse” belongs to the Kruiskerk. Visitors interested in culture can explore the Kruiskerk and the Peperbusse song in Sint Kruis as two specific cultural themes.

Traditional sporting customs in the village

Traces of the first farmers who settled there have been found near Sint Kruis. The folkloric sport of Krulbollen is practised in Sint Kruis; the aim is to throw a large ball so that it comes as close as possible to a post. Gaaischieten is a traditional sport in which artificial birds are shot down from a tall shooting tree with a bow and arrow. The two sports differ in their objective: in Krulbollen, proximity to the post counts, while in Gaaischieten, hitting the artificial birds is what matters. Gaaischieten involves arrows, a bow, artificial birds and the tall shooting tree; in Krulbollen, the key elements are the ball and the post.

Village café and Groote-Gat-Kreek

The village café in Sint Kruis serves refreshments. In West Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, the Groote-Gat-Kreek in Sint Kruis is among the creeks considered particularly worth visiting. West Zeeuws-Vlaanderen provides the regional context for the Groote-Gat-Kreek, while the village café remains associated with the village of Sint Kruis.

Other destinations: Cadzand, Breskens, Nieuwvliet, Ijzendijke, Zuidzande, Hoofdplaat, Aardenburg and Nieuwvliet-Bad.

More about the region: Sluis.