Nieuw Land National Park

Nieuw Land National Park is the Netherlands’ most recent national park and was created entirely by man. The man-made park is quite literally on the bottom of what used to be the South Sea. It owes its existence to the world’s biggest land reclamation project, which resulted in the new province of Flevoland emerging from the water! Everything at Nieuw Land National Park is about the interaction between man and nature. The forces of nature and the influence of man supplement and reinforce each other. It is a true paradise for birds.

Follow the development of changing flora and fauna at Nieuw Land National Park.
Visit the unique Marker Wadden with their beach cottages and observation huts.
Discover extraordinary birds and other animals in the vast Oostvaardersplassen.

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Near Amsterdam, between the cities of Almere and Lelystad, is the best kept secret in the Netherlands: Nieuw Land National Park, which embraces the Lepelaarplassen, Marker Wadden, Oostvaardersplassen and Markermeer regions. Today, it is a nature reserve rich in water that, with some human intervention, now harbors thousands of birds, herds of heck cattle, and grazing Konik horses.

Bird paradise and wetlands

Nieuw Land National Park is a paradise for birds. Register for a swamp hike or a guided excursion and discover the wealth of flora and fauna. It is an excellent place for adventures, whether that means hiking, cycling, or bird spotting. Let the park amaze you and discover very un-Dutch landscapes. It is also a great place to discover in fall with plenty of migratory birds, including bluethroats, common terns, and Eurasian spoonbills.

The white-tailed eagle is the icon of Nieuw Land National Park. Having almost disappeared from the Netherlands, they picked Nieuw Land as the first place to return to and breed. It is an exciting and imposing creature with a wingspan of up to 2.5 metres. Nieuw Land National Park is the best place in the Netherlands to see white-tailed eagles.

Marker Wadden, the newest part of the Netherlands

The Marker Wadden is the newest part of the Netherlands. The Marker Wadden island group was created to enable nature to recover, but also to allow people to experience nature. Since the islands were created in 2016, you can see nature evolve and change every year. Sail to the main island by ferry or hire your own boat so you can spend the afternoon there. You can even spend the night at an eco cottage or on your boat in the harbor. There are excellent observation huts high up and at water level, allowing you to look around and enjoy the view. There is also a little beach and a café, and you can explore the island on a guided tour.

Oostvaardersplassen

The Oostvaardersplassen is a region full of big and small lakes with reed fields and wet grasslands. The central area is not accessible to visitors, but there are plenty of opportunities to go cycling and walking around the edges to enjoy the animals and natural landscape. It is a real paradise for water and marsh birds. There are several observation huts where you can see birds up close, including common kingfishers, common and spotted greenshanks, and Cetti’s warblers. As many as 72 bird species lived here at last count!

Tip: It is wonderful to go hiking at Nieuw Land National Park. Let the nature reserve surprise you and discover un-Dutch landscapes. Keep looking up to see the many different birds. You may even see a white-tailed eagle. There are plenty of options ranging from easy grass paths to adventurous hiking routes on paved paths. Check out all of the hiking routes here: www.nationaalparknieuwland.nl/en/rambling