A female deer wanders through the reeds in Nieuw Land National Park (Image: Getty)
Between 17% and 20% of the Netherlands’ land area has been reclaimed by the sea, including Nieuw Land – the world’s largest national park.
The national park, measuring around 112 sq miles, actually comprises the existing nature reserves of Oostvaardersplassen, the Lepelaarplassen, Marker Wadden and Trintelzand.
Visitors to Amsterdam can reach Nieuw Land National Park in 45 minutes by car and in just over an hour by train.
The land Nieuw Land national park sits on was once the Zuiderzee (Southern Sea), prior to the reclamation process, started in the 20th century.
Birds fly over reeds and water in Nieuw Land National Park (Image: Getty)
Despite being reclaimed from the sea, 75% of Nieuw Land National Park is actually wetland.
The park was officially inaugurated in 2018 and a year later the Dutch Provincial Council gave the go-ahead for £395m worth of investment to connect the four nature reserves in the park.
One of the most striking areas visitors can see in the national park is Marker Wadden island. The artificial archipelago is found in the Markermeer lake and is a haven for birds.
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Feral horses wander through Nieuw Land National Park (Image: Getty)
Tripadvisors reviewers raved about the Marker Wadden island. One wrote: “Very enjoyable visit to this artifical island. A 30 – 40 minute boat trip from Lelystad is a great start to the day.”
Another said: “I’ve not felt as relaxed and as peaceful for a long time as I did on Marker Wadden, even if one of the paths we walked down was a bit of a dead end. I’m not much of a birdwatcher but I think I’ll have to become one and make a second trip, as there are ample birdwatching facilities.”
A third added: “The marker wadden is a beautiful project. You walk through a beautiful environment that is full of birds, plants and insects. Very beautiful lookout points have also been created.”