The Abdij is the heart of Middelburg, a sprawling monastic complex that occupies several city blocks near the market square. Three distinctive towers define the skyline: the Lange Jan (Long John) belfry, the Koorkerk tower, and the Nieuwe Kerk tower. Visitors can climb the Lange Jan for panoramic views across the Zeeland polders and, on clear days, all the way to the Westerschelde estuary.
Inside the complex are two churches, a chapter house, and the cloisters of the provincial government. The Koorkerk and the Nieuwe Kerk both contain fifteenth-century choir stalls and remarkable Baroque organ cases. The whole ensemble is the single most important medieval monument in Zeeland and should not be missed.