Watertoren
Axel
The first water tower in Zeelandic Flanders, built in 1936: twelve sides of dark brick beneath a green copper dome. At 60.6 metres it is one of the tallest water towers in the Netherlands, and a national monument.
Axel · Zeelandic Flanders
Water for
the region.
The regional water company, NV Waterleiding Maatschappij Zeeuwsch-Vlaanderen, had the tower built in 1936 to a design by architect C. van Eck from Terneuzen. The water came from the catchment area near Sint-Jansteen. At the top of the tower are three water tanks: one for Axel, two for the rest of Zeelandic Flanders. It stayed in use until the 1990s; the municipality of Axel then bought it and it became an industrial monument.
Read the storyThe climb
to the top.
On the way up you see how the network of pipes runs through the tower: the water travelled a long way down to the ground floor. After about thirty metres you reach the first water tank, which you can look inside. At the top is an orientation table with place names from all over the world. Down below, a Foucault pendulum swings above its compass, and a scale model shows how the tower worked.
Peregrines
on the gutter.
A pair of peregrine falcons uses a nest box on the tower’s roof gutter. Every year chicks hatch, and after about four months they head out into the world. At the foot of the tower lies a native-plant garden with wild plants, birds and insects, freely accessible all year round.
A tower
that sings.
The tower’s acoustics are remarkable. In August 2024 artist Bouke Groen mapped the sound of its spaces with acoustic measurements. Building on them, Celia Swart composed Project Overtone: a choir led by Aleida Post sang its way up through the tower to a height of fifty metres, with the audience following behind.
Visit
the tower.
You can climb the tower to a height of fifty metres; the ground floor with the exhibition is free. From May to October there is a changing exhibition. The little solar train links the tower with Axel’s other monuments: the museum, the Reformed church and the windmill. Opening hours vary by season; check Het Warenhuis before you visit.
Listen to the place
Session 001
A different
sound.
Philou Louzolo played a set in the tower. Watch the set, and read the story of the place.
Watch the set