Cycling through the Noordoostpolder

It is almost impossible to imagine, but less than a century ago the unpredictable Zuiderzee waved where the Noordoostpolder is now located. You can enjoy cycling in this new part of the Netherlands and you will find surprising nature and beautiful stories.

In Urk
The route starts and ends in Urk. Until 1939 this fishing village was an island. The old village center of Urk has been well preserved as a protected village view and is a beautiful sight. You drive through a landscape of straight ditches and plots to Emmeloord, the central point of the Noordoostpolder. From a distance you can see the Poldertoren, a 65-meter high water tower from 1959.

Surprising Voorsterbos
On the edge of the Voorsterbos you will pass Netl de Wildste Tuin, a cozy family park. The surprisingly varied Voorsterbos was planted on the former seabed in 1944. However, with its dense canopy and thick tree trunks, the forest seems centuries old. This piece of new nature is a pleasure to cycle through. There are many fruit orchards in and around Kraggenburg.

Museum Schokland
Schokland was an island in the Zuiderzee for centuries. At the northernmost point was the village of Emmeloord, now the center of the Noordoostpolder. Due to the reclamation in 1942, the water around the island disappeared and a unique part of the Netherlands was created. It is not without reason that UNESCO has designated the area as a World Heritage Site. Because Schokland is located on peat, the soil is slowly but surely collapsing. To counter this, the groundwater level is kept artificially high. In the Schokland Museum you can learn more about the history of Schokland.