Stranded high and dry in the middle of Noordoostpolder is the former island of Schokland. This is an archaeological treasure site, full of hidden gems in the soil. A place where people have lived for many centuries, always striving against the threat of the water.
The island was evacuated 150 years ago due to the continuous storm flooding. When Noordoostpolder was drained, Schokland became a ‘mainland island’. Worldwide, Schokland is viewed as a symbol of the Dutch people’s perpetual struggle with the water.
Museum Schokland is centrally located on this former island. From a distance it is plainly obvious that Schokland was once an island. The old church near the museum rises as a beacon high above the new land. Perusing the many archaeological treasures found on this former island is like journeying through history from current days right back to the Ice Age. That’s as far as Schokland’s history can be traced!
The indoor and outdoor exhibitions illustrate the geology and archaeology of the Noordoostpolder, the origin and the loss of the island, the life of the population on Schokland and the reclamation of the Noordoostpolder.
In Batavialand and on the former island of Schokland (a Unesco World Heritage Site) you can explore the Dutch’s close relationship with water, as well as experience their ceaseless battles against its incessant threat.
Both Urk and Schokland were at one time island havens in the Zuiderzee. Both are now ‘beached’ in the young polder landscape. These days if you stroll around you will rapidly recognise the clear contours of an island, whetting your imagination for what life must have been like in those far off days.
The route starts at Batavialand. Batavialand takes you on a journey through 7,000 years of Dutch history. This is the perfect place to discover everything you want to know about the Netherlands and how the Dutch live with water.
