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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

Sights to see

Delta Works

Zeeland is protected by the best greatest storm barriers in the world.

Sights to see

The windmills of Kinderdijk

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

Sights to see

The Woudagemaal

The world’s largest steam-driven pumping station.

© Visit Flevoland

Schokland and Urk

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

Sights to see

The Afsluitdijk

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

Giethoorn

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

© Visit Flevoland

Holland Land of Water

Discover how the Dutch use water to their advantage.

Sights to see

Unesco World Heritage Sites Beemster and De Schermer

The oldest area of reclaimed land in Holland.

Nature

National Park De Biesbosch

Go walk, cycle or sail in this large freshwater delta.

Museums

Zuiderzeemuseum Enkhuizen

Where the life of old by the Zuiderzee is brought back to life.

Flevoland

Discover Flevoland, the 12th and newest province of Holland, which was created through the largest land reclamation project in history.

© Micheile Henderson - Unsplash

Dordrecht

Visit Holland’s oldest city with over 1,000 monuments in a unique wetland environment.

© Staatsbosbeheer
Nature

National Park Weerribben-Wieden

Rent a canoe or take a boat trip on an electric boat through this unique Dutch wetland.

Museums

The Watersnoodsmuseum

The National Knowledge and Memorial Centre for the Flood of 1953.

Sights to see

Deltawerk// at the Waterloopbos

See Deltawerk//, ode to engineering at the Waterloopbos.

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