Burgh-Haamstede consists of the two villages of Burgh and Haamstede on the Zeeland island of Schouwen-Duiveland. It is largely a residentual community though it attracts many tourists due to the beaches nearby. There is also a small castle, Lock Haamstede, dates back at least to the 13th Century. it's most famous resident was White, the bastard son of Count Floris V. Another famous attraction is the lighthouse located in Nieuw Haamstede and it dates back to 1840. It was featured on the 250 guilders note at one time. The lighthouse was painted red and white in 1937 when an airport was built nearby and is used as a sailplane base.
The Germans also used the area as part of the Atlantic Wall and there are bunkers located in the dunes and dijks north of the town. Due to fighting in the area, the optics of the lighthouse were damaged during WWII and did not survive the war. An emergency light that was put up was repaced in 1953 and they are still in use today.
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