The Landscape

Nationaal Park Nieuw Land offers a landscape unlike anything else in Europe. Covering around 29,000 hectares of nature, the park invites you to cycle through a vibrant mosaic of rugged wetlands, open water, young forests, and reed beds teeming with birdlife, all created on what was once the bottom of the Zuiderzee. What makes this landscape so special is that it was man-made, yet over time has taken on a truly natural character. Much of it has been shaped by wind, water, and wild animals. The contrast between land and water is felt everywhere: winding cycle paths trace the edges of lakes and reedlands, viewpoints open up sweeping vistas over the Markermeer, and around every bend a new surprise awaits: a herd of grazing animals, a hunting white-tailed eagle, or a quiet island full of foraging birds.

Between Lelystad and Almere lies one of the most surprising nature reserves in the Netherlands: the Oostvaardersplassen. This vast wetland of around 5,600 hectares is part of Nieuw Land National Park and came into being in a remarkable way. What was originally intended to become an industrial area transformed, after the Flevopolder was reclaimed in the 1960s, into a paradise for birds and large grazers. As you cycle through the area, the landscape unfolds in sweeping views of open water, reed beds, and willow woods, where large herds of konik horses, red deer and Heck cattle roam freely. This is rewilding in its purest form, a place where nature is largely left to follow its own course.