Saeftinghe

Saeftinghe was a city in eastern Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, Belgium, near Nieuw-Namen that existed until 1584. Nowadays the area is a swamp known as the Verdronken Land van Saeftinghe (Drowned Land of Saeftinghe) which is an official nature reserve area. The land is a crosspoint where the river Scheldt meets the salty waters of the North Sea in the estuary known as the Western Scheldt. It is a treacherous place where the tides easily consume large stretches of land in a matter of seconds and must not be explored without an experienced guide. Saeftinghe was drained in the 13th century under the management of the abbey of Ter Doest. Willem van Saeftinghe was one of the best known occupants of the abbey and gave his name to the stretch of land...