Beemster, UNESCO World Heritage polder in North Holland, Netherlands
Description
The Beemster is a polder in North Holland organized in a geometric grid where the land divides into square sections separated by roads and canals. This ordered layout stretches across the entire area and shapes the landscape you see today.
History
In the early 17th century, a large lake was drained using windmills and converted into agricultural land. This ambitious project marks the start of modern Dutch water management.
Culture
The landscape reflects Dutch ideals of rational order and control over nature, visible in its symmetrical patterns and straight lines that still shape daily life and farming today. Visitors walking through the polder experience this philosophy made tangible in the organization of roads, canals, and fields.
Practical
The area is best explored by bicycle, as a network of paths runs through the whole landscape. The small village of Middenbeemster in the center provides a good starting point for exploration.
Did you know?
The land sits about 4 meters below sea level and is protected from water by a carefully maintained network of canals and dikes. This system has functioned without major interruption for over 400 years.
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Museum Betje Wolff
1.1 km
Kerk in de Midden
979 m
Rijksbeschermd gezicht Middenbeemster
1 km
Clergy house Beemster
1.1 km
Middenweg 165, Middenbeemster
1 km
Houten stelphoeve met rieten dak
999 m
Middenweg 112, Middenbeemster
959 m
Middenweg 169, Middenbeemster
1 km
Middenweg 181, Middenbeemster
1.1 km
Travalje, d.i. een stellage voor een hoefsmederij, met pannendak
1 km
Middenweg 103, Middenbeemster
1 km
Geheel houten huis onder zadeldak
1.1 km
Verzetsmonument
676 m
Middenweg 126, Middenbeemster
937 m
Rijperweg 89, Middenbeemster
1.1 km
Middenweg 130, Middenbeemster
952 m
Middenweg 138, Middenbeemster
982 m
Kosterij
1.1 km
Middenweg 171, Middenbeemster
1.1 km
Middenweg 150, Middenbeemster
1 km
Middenweg 154, Middenbeemster
1 km
Middenweg 156, Middenbeemster
1 km
Middenweg 167, Middenbeemster
1 km
Middenweg 173, Middenbeemster
1.1 km
Middenweg 139, Middenbeemster
993 m
Rijperweg 95, Middenbeemster
1.1 km
Bakstenen huis
1.1 km
Eenvoudig huis onder zadeldak
985 mDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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