The new countryside, dikes, polders, former fishermen’s villages, Giethoorn
On our Giethoorn tours and reclaimed land tours we start with a visit to the Flevoland Province, North-East of Amsterdam. Well below sea level.
The whole province consists of polders, man-made land, meaning that it once was the bottom of the sea!
Driving past the city of Almere, and along the beautiful Oostvaardersplassen nature reserve, we reach Lelystad, the city named after Cornelis Lely, the engineer who designed the plans for this unique endeavour.
In Lelystad we first visit the small “werkeiland”, the island that was first constructed as the base for ground workers to build the whole polder.
You can then choose between these two visits (or both with less time for each visit):
- Batavia Wharf and nearby New Land Museum, where we can walk through a full size copy of a 17th century Dutch trading ship, see several shipwrecks found in the area, and learn about the history of the Province, and how the Dutch have made land from the sea.
- The Bataviastad clothing outlet
Next the picturesque of Giethoorn. This is the only village left of the time when sailing ships and horse drawn barges formed the main form of transportation in The Netherlands. Therefore the unique town still has no streets, but only canals and footpaths.
During our one hour walking tour of this lovely village we will tell you all about its culture, customs and history, and the peoples that took refuge here, from Italian Flagelants to Dutch Menonites.
To complete our Giethoorn and reclaimed land tours, you can choose to take a boat tour, or navigate the canals yourself with an electric sloop.
Itinerary Giethoorn and reclaimed land tours
- pick-up anywhere in the greater Amsterdam area
- 1 1/2 Hour drive to Giethoorn via the newly created Flevoland polders.
- 1 hour walking tour of Giethoorn
- optional visits on the way back to Amsterdam
- drop-off anywhere in greater Amsterdam area
Optional visits on the way back to Amsterdam:
- navigate the Weerribben National Park unique swampland
- (spring only) photo stops in the Tulip fields on the way
- the lovely village of Muiden with its 13th century Castle or the fortified city of Naarden
- a copy of a 17th century Dutch East Indias Company merchant ship, the Batavia
- medieval town of Elburg
Just ask!
