Smalstad In 1403, Brouwershaven was granted city rights. But it remained a narrow town, a city too small to participate in the States of Zeeland. So you had no say as a town. In 1575, the barely fortified town was captured by Spanish troops and then set on fire. This was not allowed to happen again and earthen city walls were erected, surrounded by a wet moat. Five gates gave access to the city. In the storm surge of 1682, part of the fortifications are destroyed. The fortress was lifted in 1820, and then dismantled. As you can still see, the ramparts and moats on the east and north sides of the city have been preserved.
Local farmers used to let their cattle graze in this area. The lord of Haamstede Castle paid them for this. By kicking their hooves and grazing, you got a lot of different plants in the landscape. From the 1960s, farmers focused on tourists and the grazers disappeared. The dune grasslands became quite overgrown, but with many of the same plants and trees. Then the rabbits also got sick, so they too disappeared from the dunes. Lots of the same plants, means fewer animals. A big problem that had to be solved. Imagine you are a protector of the Sea Dunes. How would you solve it?