Discover Flevoland, the Netherlands’ youngest province. Discover innovative architecture, unique land art, vibrant nature reserves, and cultural treasures. All just 20 minutes from Amsterdam. Come with me and discover seven reasons to visit The Netherland’s newest province.
I was a guest of Amsterdam and Partners, Visit Almere and Visit Flevoland as part of their Visit Amsterdam, See Holland campaign for my visit to Flevoland. All opinions and a fondness for wetland centres are my own.
Table of Contents
Where is Flevoland and why do need to visit?
Flevoland is The Netherlands’ newest province. Everywhere you go in Flevoland used to be beneath the sea. The land you see didn’t even begin to exist until the 1930s when the world’s largest reclamation project began. Starting with the construction of the Afsluitdijk. Almere, the Netherlands youngest city, was only founded in 1975.
All that new space meant that the planners could get creative. There are some incredible buildings in Flevoland, the public transport is excellent and there are cycle paths everywhere. The countryside is dotted with Land Art and there is a nature reserve with herds of wild horses. You can clamber over a replica VOC ship and shop till you drop an an outlet mall. All just 20 minutes away from Amsterdam Centraal Station.
Six Reasons to Visit Flevoland
Cool Architecture
One benefit of a brand new city is that you can invite the world’s best architects to create buildings. Wander round the centre of Almere and you will see a building inspired by Emeralds and by a medieval fortress. Down on the lakeside the Kunstlinie building is built on strict Feng shui principles. Just a little along promenade is an apartment block called The Wave because, well it looks like a wave. Make sure you pop into the central library. The perfect place if you need to sit down and work for an hour or so. We went on a tour of central Almere, which you can book on the Visit Almere website or pick up a leaflet for a self guided exploration.
Go on Safari in a man made nature reserve
When I arrived at Nieuw Land National Park outdoor centre I assumed that this wetland reserve was much the same as other wetland reserves that I have visited and loved. Wrong. Sure to begin with everything was much the same. Swallows swooping for flies, grebes diving and panoramic views over reedbeds and water. But then we visited the centre of the reserve. Here you have to be accompanied by a ranger. Nature flourishes. Herds of wild horses, heck cattle and deer roam, grazing and maintaining the wetlands. As soon as we entered to closed area huge flocks of birds filled the air. We saw a White Eagle and more Marsh Harriers than I could count. You feel immersed in the environment and then the Amsterdam bound train goes past reminding you that you are a scant half an hour from the centre of Amsterdam.
What is the Oostvaardsplassen?
When the land of Flevoland was first being created from the seabed the Oostvaardsplassen polder was set aside for industry. It was a time of global recession and so the land was left the economy picked up and industry was ready to move in. During this time nature took over. Birds began to use the polder as a stop off on their migration routes, many stayed. By the time industry was ready to move in, the polder was an important habitat and it was decided that industry could go elsewhere. Konik ponies (the nearest thing we have to the wild horse in Europe), Heck Cattle (as near as we have to wild cattle) and red deer were introduced to keep the woody scrubs from becoming a forest.
How to visit the Oostvardsplassen
We arrived by bicycle which is by far the best way, but there are carparks by the two visitor centres. One centre is at the Lelystad end and the other Almere. You can cycle across the dyke the separates the Oostvardsplassen from the Markemeer and around the edge of the reserve. Check the wind before you set off and choose which way round to cycle, it is always easier to cycle with the wind on your back as you pedal along the waterfront. There are marked paths and nature watching hides around the reserve. To go on Safari book a seat on on Ecokar tour via the Nieuw Land website, tickets cost €17.50
Sail to an Island
The Oostvardsplassen is only one part of the Nieuw Land National Park. Seven islands, the Markerwadden, have been created in the Markermeer from the silt that has accumulated as a result of the dyke. The islands will both act as a place for new silt to accumulate and as a habitat for birds. You can catch a ferry to the islands from the jetty by the Batavia ship. Once on the island there are trails ranging from 2.5k to 12km long, three bird hides, an information centre and a cafe. Should you want to stay more than a few hours there are even four holiday cottages. Ferry crossings take about 45 minutes and run from April to November, a return ticket costs €25.50, book via the Nieuw Land website.
Seek out Land Art
Flevoland does not have a Cathedral in the conventional sense of a bricks and mortar building, what it does have is a stand of trees planted in the footprint of Reims Cathedral. De Groene Cathedral is one of ten Land Art works that dot the Flevoland countryside. To see them all in a day you need a car. Easiest to see is Exposure by Antony Gormley, a giant man squatting on the dockside opposite the Bataviawerf museum.
Clamber over a Dutch East India Company ship
Well, a faithful reproduction of a Dutch East India Company century ship. Moored up opposite Exposure is a glorious old ship. She is a faithful reconstruction of the Batavia. The original Batavia set sail in 1628 bound for the East Indies. Her story is much like Titanic, except that it was off a tropical islands that the Batavia came to grief and not an iceberg. What followed is a story of mutiny and massacre. Nowadays you can explore every nook and cranny of the Batavia, it makes you realise how small the ships were and how brave you needed to be to set off round the world in one.
The Batavia is the most eye-catching part Batavialand. Make sure you take a look inside the museum which tells the story of how the land here came to be and the shipwrecks found here. Most amazing of all is a tapestry (like the Bayeaux tapestry but newer) depicting Flevoland through the ages via the medium of embroidery. If you have always wandered how Dutch East Indiaman ships were built be sure to visit the ship yard where ships are being built in the old fashioned manner.
- Batavialand, Oostvaardersdijk 01-13, Lelystad
- Open: Tuesday – Sunday 11am – 5pm
- Admission: Adult €16
Go Shopping
Who doesn’t love a bargain? Bataviastad, right next to Batavialand, has 150 discount designer outlets. I especially enjoyed exploring the Dutch brands which were unfamiliar to me dotted among the more familiar brands. Afterwards I grabbed a coffee and drank it whilst gently swaying on the Bataviastad Ferris wheel, with great views across the whole area.
Go to the Theatre
Why on earth would you to go to see a play in a language that you don’t speak? Bear with me. Vis à Vis is something a little bit different. For a start it is outside (you sit under shelter, so don’t get wet) and the productions are home grown. I saw SILO 8 about the care of old people in the future, not a barrel of laughs you’d think. Especially as it is all in Dutch. I didn’t understand a single word of the production and yet understood every single second. At the beginning I wondered why? But at the end would encourage non Dutch speakers to see the show. We booked a dinner and theatre ticket which included an excellent buffet of vegetarian and vegan food.
Where to stay in Almere
Hotel prices are much cheaper in Almere than central Amsterdam, the journey only takes 20 minutes and costs about €14 return. If you plan to use other public transport then Amsterdam and Region card covers transport across the region and costs €21 for one day and €40.50 for 3 days.
Leonardo Hotel Almere City Centre
We stayed in the Leonardo Hotel Almere City Centre which has views across the lake and the Side by Side apartment buildings. Even better it is housed in a really cool building on stilts designed by Will Alsop. There are bikes available to hire at the hotel to make exploring really easy.
Where to Eat in Almere
Restaurants line the Grote Mark and neighbouring square in the centre of Almere. We ate at Boutiq, Indonesian inspired food at Indo Kitchen and excellent lunch at NUL 36.
Why you need to get out of Amsterdam on your next visit
Amsterdam is excellent but it isn’t the Netherlands. Hop on a train at Amsterdam Centraal and within a few minutes you can be a world away from the bustle of the big city. Discover Flevoland and so much more. Take a look at the Amsterdam and Partners website for more inspiration or have a browse around my many posts about Holland.
I love exploring the Netherlands take a look at my other Dutch posts for inspiration of where to visit. Schockland, once an island and now landlocked is one of the Dutch UNESCO sites and very close to Flevoland. For more on innovative New Dutch design take a look at Amazing Modern Buildings in Rotterdam. We have stayed in Dutch castles, explored the Wadden Islands, discovered Leeuwarden, walked in the footsteps of pilgrim fathers in Leiden, had a beach and culture weekend in The Hague and spent a summer exploring Brabant. For more inspiration just outside Amsterdam take a look at Haarlem.
