Flevoland was only reclaimed in the 20th century. But the Netherlands' youngest province has a centuries-old history. During the reclamation, many archaeological treasures ‘surfaced’: from shipwrecks in the soil to former islands now on dry land, and from prehistoric pottery to ruins of fortresses on the former Zuiderzee coast. The story of Flevoland's heritage is important to tell. And even more important to experience for yourself! Go out and visit our heritage. Tip: below are interesting combination visits.
It takes guts, building an entire province from scratch. Yet that is how Flevoland was created, metres below sea level. Engineer Lely was the driving force behind the plan for what is still today the largest reclamation project in the world. As a tribute, the capital of the new province was named after him.
More about Flevoland's history
Flevoland is never finished. That's because of the twentieth-century soil beneath our feet. That does something to the residents, who know: the sky is the limit. Things arise here that are unthinkable elsewhere. Here we have new nature, innovative architecture and more special regional products than anywhere else in the Netherlands.
The story of Flevoland
The digital experience 'water experience' of the Netherlands Waterland will teach you everything about our passion and love for water, as well as our vast knowledge of this magical liquid. Sit back, relax and fly through the Netherlands – Land of Water to discover the most beautiful water works, cities and magnificent innovations.
No fewer than four locations in Flevoland are included in the 'water experience': Batavialand, Urk, Schokland and Waterloopbos. After a short introductory film, you can view each location in 360 degrees, but you can also fly over it like a drone.You've never seen our water heritage sites like this before!
Experience our ‘water experience’ for yourself
Schokland is one of our gems. A mystical place. A former island in the middle of the young polder landscape. Feel the past here: the centuries-old battle against the water. And discover the 10,000-year-old traces of human life.
The characteristic fishing village of Urk is so different from the rest of Flevoland that it is worth a visit for that reason alone. A maze of little streets. Built without any planning. And that while the rest of Flevoland was developed on the drawing board.
A visit to Batavialand will take you back in time. Batavialand takes you on a journey through 7,000 years of Dutch history. You will learn all about the Netherlands and the Dutchman's life with water. And about how Flevoland came into existence.
You can hardly imagine it now, but how does one calculate complicated water forces on large structures without a computer? In the Waterloopbos (water course forest) in the Northeast Polder, you will find the scale models of 35 famous waterworks, such as Istanbul harbour and the Delta Works that keep Zeeland safe after the flood of 1953..
When it was still an island in the raging Zuiderzee, Urk fought the water for centuries. But it also lived by it, as fishing was its main source of income. Today, Urk is part of Flevoland and our rich water heritage. And fishing? It is still important there. Through the blog ‘5 x must sees on Urk’, we will introduce you to this special former island.
Read our 5 'must-sees' on Urk
The Northeast Polder was the first part of present-day Flevoland to be reclaimed. Lessons were learned here that came in handy during later reclamation. Hence, for example, the Noordoostpolder lies right next to Overijssel and Friesland, while the rest of Flevoland is surrounded by lakes. Take a look at a map and you will see for yourself. The story of the water heritage of the Northeast Polder is a story about dykes, pumping stations and sluices. Walk over the bottom of the former Zuiderzee and discover the water system that now keeps our feet dry.
More about the water heritage in the Northeast Polder
How fun is it that you can ‘book’ a real Urk native to stroll through Urk's ginkies (small streets) with you?
Having dry feet on land seems obvious, but we owe that to our locks and pumping stations.
Working Island Lelystad was the starting point of dike construction around Flevoland's second new polder in 1950 and thus its first inhabited part.
Discover the struggle and intimate relationship of the Dutch with water in Batavialand, Lelystad, and on the former island of Schokland (Unesco World Heritage Site).
The struggle with water has made the Dutch experts in water management. You can see this in the fishing village of Urk and in the national monument Waterloopbos, a former open-air laboratory.
This route takes you past all of Flevoland's water heritage. Discover the Dutchman's struggle and intimate relationship with water.
