Pearl Route Tears - Watersnoodmuseum Ouwerkerk
Zeeland is like a big oyster with many beautiful pearls. With this puzzle route, you will discover Ouwerkerk's hidden treasures. Sometimes they are so well hidden that you can only find them by looking carefully.
Start location: Road of the Foreign Press 5, 4305 RJ Ouwerkerk
How it works.
Follow the route and discover more about the area. Answer the questions and collect letters. At the end of the route, you can use these letters to form a word.
Take a look
Sights on this route
Starting point
Weg van Buitenlandse Pers 5
Ouwerkerk
Navigate to starting point
Look: Pearl Route Tears Intro Flood Disaster
The pearl routes are interactive walking routes. Due to circumstances, the pearl routes can currently only be found in an adapted way on this website. Below you will find the text and the link to1
Look: Pearl Route Tears Intro Flood Disaster
The pearl routes are interactive walking routes. Due to circumstances, the pearl routes can currently only be found in an adapted way on this website. Below you will find the text and the link to accompanying videos that you can watch on the way for the relevant topics. There are both Dutch and German (DU) videos available. We wish you a lot of fun during your walk!
Look: Pearl Route Tears Intro Flood Disaster
The pearl routes are interactive walking routes. Due to circumstances, the pearl routes can currently only be found in an adapted way on this website. Below you will find the text and the link to1
Watersnoodmuseum
The Watersnoodmuseum teaches you more about the devastating consequences of the Flood Disaster on February 1, 1953, but also takes you into the present. What challenges are we facing now? And how will floods develop in the future?
LOOK & ASK: Caissons (flood museum)
Question 1: What are these caissons actually made of? Note down the first letter.
LOOK & ASK: Caissons (flood museum)
Sunday night, February 1, 1953. A very severe northwesterly storm is raging. It is spring tide, causing the water to be higher than during a normal flood. The water pounds against the dikes, which have become very weakened during the Second World War. Then the dikes break, and the water has free rein. Because the radio transmitters are off the air, the KNMI (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute) cannot issue a storm warning. No one is prepared, and the consequences are enormous. More than 1800 people drown, tens of thousands lose their homes, and a large part of the country is flooded.
To get rid of the water, the dikes must be repaired. Caissons, like the ones you see here, are also used for this purpose. This is a difficult operation. Just imagine trying to place four large boxes in such a way that they close the dike. But on November 6, 1953, the time has come. The last dike breach here in Ouwerkerk is closed.
Question 1: What are these caissons actually made of? Note down the first letter.
LOOK & ASK: Caissons (flood museum)
Question 1: What are these caissons actually made of? Note down the first letter.
Watch & Question: Dike with different stones
Question 2: Have you found all three of them? Then take the 3rd letter of the stone type Haringmanblok. Take the 2nd letter of the stone type Diaboolglooing. Take the 8th letter of the stone type Systeem Leendertse.
Watch & Question: Dike with different stones
A dike must hold back the water. But which stones do you use for this? Along this new sea dike, you can see different types of stones that have been used or are still being used. Not every type of stone is suitable for a sturdy dike. Look for the types of stones where erosion under the stones in the dike can be dangerous.
Question 2: Have you found all three of them? Then take the 3rd letter of the stone type Haringmanblok. Take the 2nd letter of the stone type Diaboolglooing. Take the 8th letter of the stone type Systeem Leendertse.
Watch & Question: Dike with different stones
Question 2: Have you found all three of them? Then take the 3rd letter of the stone type Haringmanblok. Take the 2nd letter of the stone type Diaboolglooing. Take the 8th letter of the stone type Systeem Leendertse.
Tidal Pool
Discover the underwater life of Oosterschelde National Park in one of the 10 tidal pools in Ouwerkerk.
Watch & Question: Creek
Question 4: Where on its body does it have no spots? Take the 2nd and 3rd letter of the answer.
Watch & Question: Creek
During the flood disaster, the seawater flowed in and out of the polders, eroding deep gullies. The dikes have now been closed, but the water in the gullies has remained. That is why beautiful creeks have now formed here, where you can find birds and other animals. You might even see a lizard dart away. In the water, you can also find fish such as the eel, the flounder, and the rainbow trout. This fish can be recognized by its black spots. But there is one place on its body where there are no spots. Follow the route and look around carefully, and you will learn more about the rainbow trout.
Question 4: Where on its body does it have no spots? Take the 2nd and 3rd letter of the answer.
Watch & Question: Creek
Question 4: Where on its body does it have no spots? Take the 2nd and 3rd letter of the answer.
Watch & Question: Playground (by the creek)
Question 5: At which location are you? Take the last letter of this.
Watch & Question: Playground (by the creek)
Here you can discover for yourself what can be found in the creek. Look through the periscope at the water surface or fish water from the creek. If you prefer to add water, use the pump and see how the water flows. All this in a historical place, namely on parts of the old sea dike.
Question 5: At which location are you? Take the last letter of this.
Watch & Question: Playground (by the creek)
Question 5: At which location are you? Take the last letter of this.
Watch & Question: Monument
Question 6: Here is the monument for the victims of the disaster in 1953. Every year on February 1st, the flood disaster is commemorated here with a memorial service and a wreath-laying ceremony. On the monument, you will find an appropriate text. Take the last two letters of the second word.
Watch & Question: Monument
The water, the storm, the silence… Zeeland is largely flooded after the night of February 1, 1953. This area in particular, Schouwen-Duiveland, Goeree Overflakkee, and Tholen, was severely affected. But the danger has not yet passed. In the afternoon, it is high tide again, and the water rises even higher than during the night. People therefore go onto the roofs, and many houses that had survived the night collapse. People drown now as well. Around five o'clock, it gets dark. Thousands of people, wet, cold, and thirsty, enter the second night. On the third day of February, the rescue efforts get well underway. Victims are evacuated by helicopters, and aid workers enter the disaster area with hundreds of ships.
Question 6: Here is the monument for the victims of the disaster in 1953. Every year on February 1st, the flood disaster is commemorated here with a memorial service and a wreath-laying ceremony. On the monument, you will find an appropriate text. Take the last two letters of the second word.
Watch & Question: Monument
Question 6: Here is the monument for the victims of the disaster in 1953. Every year on February 1st, the flood disaster is commemorated here with a memorial service and a wreath-laying ceremony. On the monument, you will find an appropriate text. Take the last two letters of the second word.
Directions
1. Caissons (flood museum)
Sunday night, February 1, 1953. There is a very heavy northwest storm. It is spring tide, which means the water is higher than during a normal flood. The water pounds against the dykes, which were very weakened during World War II. Then the dykes break and the water gets free rein. Because the radio transmitters are off the air, KNMI cannot issue a storm warning. No one is prepared for it and the consequences are huge. More than 1800 people drown, tens of thousands lose their homes and much of the country is flooded.
To get the water out, the dykes have to be repaired. This includes the use of caissons like the ones you see here. This is a difficult operation. Just see how to place four large caissons in such a way that they close the dike. But on 6 November 1953 it is done. The last dike hole here in Ouwerkerk is closed.
Question 1: What are these caissons actually made of? Write down the first letter.
2. Dike with different stones
A dike has to stop the water. But which stones do you use for this? Along this new sea dyke you can see different types of stone that have been or are still being used. Not every type of stone is suitable for a solid dike. Find the stone types where erosion under the stones in the dike can be dangerous.
Question 2: Have you found all three? Then take the 3rd letter of the stone type Herringman block. Take the 2nd letter of the stone type Diabolic Glooping. Take the 8th letter of the stone type System Leendertse.
3. Research spot (Eastern Scheldt)
If you can walk down the steps of the Sea Dike without getting your feet wet, then you know it's low tide. Because at high tide, the water rises much higher. And at low tide you are in luck, because in these tide pools, where the seawater remains, you can find the animals that live here in the water. Fish, shellfish and crabs. You have to look carefully sometimes, because they like to hide.
Question 3: Take the 6th letter of the word tide pools.
4. Creek
During the flood disaster, sea water flows in and out of the polders, eroding deep channels. The dykes have since been closed, but the water in the gullies remained. Hence, beautiful creeks have now formed here, where you can find birds and other animals. You might even see a lizard shooting away. In the water you will also find fish such as eels, flounder and rainbow trout. You can recognise this fish by its black spots. But there is one spot on its body where there are no dots. Follow the trail and look around carefully and you will learn more about the rainbow trout.
Question 4: Where on its body does it have no dots? Take the 2nd and 3rd letters of the answer.
5. Play area (at the creek)
Here you can discover for yourself what can be found in the creek. Look through the periscope at the surface of the water or fish the water out of the creek. If you prefer to add water, use the pump and watch the water flow. All this at a historic site, namely on parts of the old Sea Dike.
Question 5: At which location are you? Take the last letter of this.
6. Monument
The water, the storm, the silence... Zeeland is largely under water after the night of 1 February 1953. This area in particular, Schouwen-Duiveland, Goeree Overflakkee and Tholen were hit hard. But the danger is not over by then. In the afternoon, the tide returns and the water rises even higher than during the night. People therefore take to their roofs and many houses that had survived the night collapse. Again, people drown. By five o'clock, it gets dark. Thousands of people go into the second night wet, cold and thirsty. On the third day of February, rescue efforts are well underway. Victims are evacuated by helicopters and relief workers enter the disaster area in hundreds of boats.
Question 6: There is the monument to the victims of the 1953 disaster here. Every year on 1 February, the flood disaster is remembered here with a commemoration and wreath laying. On the monument you will find an appropriate text.Take the last two letters of the second word.
These were all the questions. If you did well, during your exploration you found a 10-letter word, namely a species of bird.