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© Cornelie van Vliet
Category:Explore the Dutch national parks

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! It is now a beautiful wetland nature reserve where thousands of birds, herds of Heck cattle and grazing Konik horses have settled in, with the help of humans.

  • 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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  • © Ellen van den Doel
  • Marker Wadden with boardwalk
    © VisitFlevoland
  • Marker Wadden bird watching
    © Cornelie van Vliet
  • © Ellen van den Doel
  • © Ellen van den Doel

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. Whether you are interested in hiking, cycling or birdwatching, the park is a great place to go for outdoor adventure enthusiasts. From challenging routes through sandy grass paths to adventurous hiking on paved trails, the park offers it all. It is also a great place to discover in fall with plenty of migratory birds, including bluethroats, common terns, and Eurasian spoonbills.

Iconic white-tailed eagle

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. Bird lovers will find special bird-watching huts at various locations, such as along the waterline and higher up.

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. A ferry, charter or your own boat will take you to the main island. You can also stay overnight in an eco-friendly cottage or on your own boat in the harbour. 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.

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