Kuiperspoort

Kuiperspoort is a narrow lane in the old centre of Middelburg, the capital of Zeeland, and its name points straight at its past. Kuipers were coopers, the craftsmen who made barrels, and in a port city a cooper's trade was hardly less important than a shipwright's. Wine, herring, oil, spices and many other goods travelled in barrels, and a town that sent ships around the world needed people who could turn out sound casks in large numbers. The lane recalls that workaday side of the Golden Age.

Middelburg grew rich in the seventeenth century as the seat of the Zeeland chamber of the Dutch East India Company, the second largest after Amsterdam. Cargoes arrived and left through the town, and warehouses, workshops and merchants' houses filled the streets. Today many of the buildings that remain are restored brick houses with stepped or curved gables, tall windows and doors of the period, and the lane keeps a good deal of that atmosphere. In May 1940 German bombing destroyed much of the centre, so what visitors see is a mixture of surviving original fabric and careful postwar reconstruction.

The lane is short and quiet, which is much of its appeal. It is cobbled, narrow and free of traffic, and the buildings on both sides lean slightly together, giving the sense of passing through a tunnel of brick. There is no ticket office and no visitor centre, so you simply walk through, look at the facades and enjoy the lack of crowds. Light is best in the morning and late afternoon, when the low sun picks out the brickwork and gable stones. Photographers often come for exactly that reason.

The lane works best as part of a wider walk. The Markt, the Gothic town hall and the Vleeshal gallery are close, and the abbey complex with its landmark tower, Lange Jan, rises nearby. Kloveniersdoelen, the old militia headquarters, and the Koepoort gate are within a few minutes' walk, and the canals that ring the centre make pleasant routes between them. A route through all of these takes a couple of hours.

The alley suits history lovers, architecture fans and anyone who prefers hidden corners to big-name sights. As it is a residential area, keep noise down and respect the privacy of residents. Visiting hours are simply the daylight hours of an open street, and Middelburg is easily reached by train from Rotterdam and Vlissingen.