Quite an accomplishment, building an entire province from scratch. Still, that’s exactly how Flevoland came into being: man-made land, a good four metres below sea level and secured by miles of dykes. But then Flevoland is never really finished. Probably something to do with that twentieth-century soil under our feet, we reckon; it seems to exert an effect on people. Nowhere else offers more space for innovative ideas than right here. As all Flevolanders are well aware: the sky is the limit.
Taken together, Flevoland’s three polders form the largest piece of man-made land on the planet. The islands which already existed in the Zuiderzee (Schokland and Urk) were marooned in the new land when the sea was drained. Things happen here like nowhere else. Need a wind break... we simply put up wind turbines. And if a dyke needs to be rebuilt, we go for it in an entirely new way.
Everything you see was created on the drawing board. The orderly parcels of agricultural land. The straight roads. The canals. And of course: the spaces dedicated to nature. These designated areas of natural beauty have continued to develop to become fascinating wild polder landscapes. A good example is the extensive wetland area in the Nieuw Land National Park, another is the Netherlands’ largest continuous deciduous woods. We have also recently created the Marker Wadden group of artificial islands in the wide waters that surround Flevoland in a bid to attract more fish and birds to the Markermeer lake. Nature is already reclaiming its own, as of course it certainly should.
When the tulip and rapeseed fields bloom, Flevoland is transformed into a riot of intensely colourful hues, a bit like a Mondriaan painting. Our local food is appreciated across the globe. And between the fields, this is where the people achieve their ideals. For example by creating amazing and sometimes even edible estates, yes... you read that right! Everything we want we create ourselves. That’s how we do things in Flevoland.
No other landscape in the Netherlands breathes ‘20th century’ as much as Flevoland does. The modern polder cities are in part architectural museums, featuring the work of world renowned architects like Rem Koolhaas. There is also space for experimental designers to practise their craft. And nowhere else in the world will you discover so much spectacular landscape art in just one day. The province is continuously renewing. Plenty of opportunities exist for the self builders to build their own dream houses. Here you even have the space to get together and construct your own entire neighbourhood.
Flevoland, on the former Zuiderzee seabed, is like nothing else that exists; anywhere! Flevoland is obviously different. Something you will immediately recognise when you drive into the province. The crisp clear lines, the space, that modern twist; you can only be in Flevoland.
