Vlissingen is a year-round destination but is at its best from May to September, when the boulevard cafes are open and the beach is busy. July and August are warm enough to swim and the Dutch summer holidays fill the town with families — most restaurants are full and accommodation prices rise.
Autumn storms (October–March) bring spectacular weather to the dike — sometimes spray sweeps the boulevard — and the historic centre is at its most atmospheric out of season. The annual Bevrijdingsdag (Liberation Day) celebrations on 5 May commemorate the bitter Battle of the Scheldt in 1944 and are particularly significant here.