Page 332 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - The Netherlands

330  NOR THERN AND EASTERN NE THERLANDS

1 Emmeloord boulder clay. Even after the polder
was drained, Urk managed to
Road Map D2. Noordoostpolder.
* 25,600. @ n De Deel 25a retain its character in the middle
(0527-612000). ( Thu am. of the new land surrounding it.
Some of the older residents wear
When the oldest polder the traditional dress, though this
in Flevoland was drained, is increasingly rare.
Emmeloord sprang up like a Beside the old village centre,
pioneer settlement. Over the the fishing quay, the lighthouse
years it has developed into a (1844) and the little church (1786) Schokland before land
pleasant town. It is the main town are worth a look. In the Museum reclamation
of the municipality of Noordoo- Het Oude Raadhuis, situated in
stpolder, encompassing groen­ the old town hall, you can find
dorps (green villages). Emmeloord out about the history of Urk and
is known mainly for its octagonal the fishing industry.
Poldertoren, a water tower
topped by a 5-m (16-ft) wind E Museum Het
vane in the shap e of an old Oude Raadhuis
merchant ship; the tower is 65-m Wijk 2–3. Tel 0527-683262.
(214-ft) high and was built in 1959. Open Apr–Oct: 10am–5pm Mon–Fri,
The carillon, one of Holland’s 10am–4pm Sat; Nov–Mar: 10am–4pm
biggest, has 48 chimes. The viewing Mon–Sat. & 7 = 8
platform (open in summer) offers Schokland after land
a view of the polder. reclamation
3 Nagele
2 Urk Road Map D3. * 1,900. @ E Museum Nagele
Ring 23. Tel 0527-653077.
n Emmeloord (0527-612000).
Open 1–5pm Thu–Sun. Closed 1 Jan,
Road Map C3. * 20,000. g from
Enkhuizen, summer only. @ n Wijk This village was built in the 25, 26 & 31 Dec. & 7 = 0
2–3 (0527-684040). ( Sat am. 1950s to designs by the De
Acht en de Opbouw, a group
The fishing village of Urk attracts of architects which included the 4 Schokland
many tourists with its sloping famous Rietveld, Van Eyck and Road Map C3. @ n see museum.
alleys and charming fishermen’s van Eesteren, who represented
cottages. Until the Zuiderzee the Nieuwe Bouwen movement. Like Urk, Schokland was
was drained, Urk was an island. The flat-roofed residential once an island. Archaeological
Some 1,000 years ago, the island buildings surround a park-like finds show that the site was
was much larger and had five centre with shops, schools and inhabited in prehistoric times.
villages; flooding gradually churches. The village is surrounded In 1859, the population had to
reduced its size. The towns- by a belt of woodland. Museum abandon the island because it
people moved to the highest Nagele provides information was disappearing into the sea.
point on the island, a hill of about the village’s architecture. Today the “island” is so tiny that
it can barely be seen.
Museum Schokland,
Cornelis Lely (1854–1929) consisting of the restored
Flevoland has come into existence thanks largely to the church and reconstructions
plans and ambitions of civil engineer Cornelis Lely. of fishermen’s cottages, is
From 1885 to 1891, as a member of the dedicated to geology and
Zuiderzee vereniging (Zuiderzee Society), he local history from the Ice
was responsible for studying the possibility Age up until the land was
of closing off and draining the Zuiderzee. reclaimed. At the south end
His appointment as minister for trade and of the village are the ruins
industry in 1891 gave him the chance to of a medieval church. In the
convince the government and parliament Schokkerbos forest to the
how necessary it was to tame the west is the Gesteentetuin,
unpredictable Zuiderzee, though it was
not until his third term in office (1913–18) gardens featuring Ice
that the law for retaining and draining the Age boulders.
Zuiderzee was finally passed. Apart from the
Zuiderzee projects, Lely worked to improve E Museum Schokland
the Noorzeekanaal. From 1902 to 1905 he Middelbuurt 3, Ens. Tel 0527-251396.
was governor of Suriname. He died in Open Apr–Oct: 11am–5pm Tue–Sun
1929, but his name lives on in that of (Jul & Aug: daily); Nov–Mar: 11am–
Flevoland’s capital, Lelystad. Statue of Lely 5pm Fri–Sun. Closed 1 Jan, 25 Dec.
& 7 0
For hotels and restaurants in this region see p400 and p414

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.4)
Date 25th April 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm