Brabantse Biesbosch, Nature area in Drimmelen and Altena, Netherlands.
The Brabantse Biesbosch is a nature area built from branching rivers, small islands thick with willows, and creeks connected by countless waterways. The entire landscape sits on flat ground where water shapes everything and creates a constantly shifting environment.
This area emerged when the Saint Elizabeth flood of 1421 inundated large tracts of land and created a freshwater tidal zone. Since then, water has continuously shaped and reshaped the landscape.
The Biesbosch Museum on an island displays how generations of people have worked with water and shaped their lives around it. Exhibitions reveal traditional crafts like willow weaving and fishing that remain connected to the local way of life.
You can explore the area by boat, canoe, or bicycle, with rental equipment available at several locations throughout the region. Starting early in the day helps you avoid crowds and increases your chances of spotting wildlife.
The area protects a beaver population that returned to the region in 1988 after being extinct for hundreds of years. Their comeback shows how nature is slowly reclaiming this landscape and wild spaces are being restored.
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