Land of Water

Holland and water are inextricably linked. There is of course the famous coast, but behind it lies a fascinating landscape of ditches, waterways, canals, lakes and rivers. Our windmills, pumping stations, polders and dikes are world-famous. Nearly a third of our country lies below sea level. If Holland didn’t protect itself against the waters, half of Holland would be submerged. Making Holland a safe country was not easy: the Dutch had to fight for almost every square metre of land. Sometimes the people won, sometimes it was the sea. The large water engineering works of the past centuries, culminating in the Delta Works, are examples of our victories over the sea. How we manage our water and enjoy it can be seen and experienced in various places.

Visit the highlights of Holland Waterland

Delta Works

Zeeland is protected by the best greatest storm barriers in the world.
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The windmills of Kinderdijk

Discover the nineteen splendid windmills that have been declared UNESCO world heritage.
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The Woudagemaal

The world’s largest steam-driven pumping station.
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Schokland and Urk

Discover Schokland and Urk, ancient islands in the reclaimed Zuiderzee.
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The Afsluitdijk

Drive along the 32 km Afsluitdijk between fresh and saltwater from North Holland to Friesland. Discover more about this dike and causeway.
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Giethoorn

Visit ‘The Venice of Holland’ and enjoy the sight of unique farms from the water’s surface.
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