Terneuzen -- International Checkpoint
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The interior of the Checkpoint Bar/Coffeeshop, Terneuzen's main attraction.
Despite my jokes about DOW and the Checkpoint Coffeeshop, Terneuzen is a quaint town with an interesting history.
Despite my jokes about DOW and the Checkpoint Coffeeshop, Terneuzen is a quaint town with an interesting history.
Despite my jokes about DOW and the Checkpoint Coffeeshop, Terneuzen is a quaint town with an interesting history.
Practical Tips and Photos Page
Why Visit Small Towns in Holland?
Driving in the Netherlands
Maps, Routes, and the ANWB
Brugge -- Amsterdam Suggestions
Tourism in Terneuzen?
For most tourists, the only reason to visit Terneuzen is the Checkpoint Coffeeshop and Bar. While there is a second coffeeshop just around the corner, no one seems to visit it (and neither should you.) The Checkpoint is very busy because it is only a short drive from Belgium and France. If you are driving into Sluis and can't find the coffeeshop, the joke goes that you just follow all the French and Belgian license plates. The only reason a French person would come here is for the Checkpoint.Seriously, though, the Checkpoint is a bit schizophrenic. One half of the building is painted blue and houses a regular bar that opens in the afternoon. The other half of the building is green and houses the coffeeshop. This side opens at 10 or 11am. Because coffeeshops do not exist in France or Belgium, people from there come to the Checkpoint and make the place so busy that you literally take a number when you walk in the door.
I have seen people wait 20-30 minutes to get their purchase. This is another place to feel the international flavor of a border town. You will hear French, Flemish, French and English speakers. There is a parking shortage near the coffeeshop, but that doesn't deter visitors from parking illegally in front of the building. When the manager sees a car blocking another car, he first checks the license plate before deciding what language to use for yelling at the offender. I usually heard French in these cases.
This Town Brought To You By DOW Chemical
Terneuzen is a major port and point of entry for traffic to Ghent. The major employer in town is Dow Chemical. When you drive in from Hoek you can see how this might be true. The entire town is surrounded by chemical factories, waterways and shipping facilities. If you drive in from N61 through Hoek, you must cross two waterways with a complex of bridges crisscrossing the water.Coming from Hoek, drive north through the areas under construction (spring 2000 and winter 2001, unknown completion.) You will turn left onto N376 and then the route is hard to describe. The reason is that the route changes depending on which lock is being operated. There are two water channels you must cross, and the route is marked with electronic signs.
As with anywhere in the Netherlands, look for the combination of "doorgaand verkeer" and "centrum" signs. to get to the center. As you drive into town (from Hoek via N376) you will take a series of right and left turns over bridges. Turn left and look for this restaurant:
