Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
villages, Schokland was gradually enveloped by the sea, until the
king condemned and evacuated it in 1859. But after the sea around
it was tamed and drained, Schokland was turned into a museum of
Dutch traditions...and engineering prowess. Today Schokland is a
long way to go for a little museum, and won't fascinate everyone.
But those intrigued by this chapter of Dutch history will find it
worth the journey.
Cost and Hours:
€3.50; July-Aug daily 11:00-17:00; April-
June and Sept-Oct Tue-Sun 11:00-17:00, closed Mon; Nov-
March Fri-Sun 11:00-17:00, closed Mon-Thu; Middelbuurt 3, tel.
0527/251-396, www.schokland.nl.
Getting There:
It's about an hour's
drive
north of Amsterdam
(assuming there's no traffic), but the trip offers an insightful glimpse
at Dutch land reclamation. From Amsterdam's ring freeway, follow
signs for
Almere—
irst southeast on A-1, then northeast on A-6.
You'll drive the length of the very flat reclaimed island of Flevoland
(past the towns of Almere and Lelystad), and pass a striking line
of power-generating windmills spinning like gigantic pinwheels
as you cross out of Flevoland and into Noordoostpolder—the
reclaimed “Northeast Polder” that includes Schokland. Take the
Urk exit (#13), turn right, and follow blue signs for
Schokland
. By
public transportation,
it's possible but not worth the effort (train
from Amsterdam to Lelystad, bus to Emmeloord, then bus to Ens,
then a 2-mile walk to Schokland).
>
Self-Guided Tour:
After buying your ticket, you'll watch a
15-minute
ilm
(press button to start in English) about the history
of the town, its loss to the sea, and its reclamation.
Then tour the exposition called
Schokland: An Island in
Time,
which explains how Schokland
was reclaimed as part of the Northeast
Polder beginning in 1936. After being
enclosed by a sturdy dike, a year-long
project drained this area of water in 1942
(while the Netherlands was occupied by
the Nazis). Various Allied bombers were
shot down and crashed into what would
become the Northeast Polder (including
one whose mangled propeller is dis-
played just outside the museum), joining
the dozens of shipwrecks that already
littered the seafloor.
A model shows the full territory of the Northeast Polder,
which is carefully planned in concentric circles around the cen-
tral town of Emmeloord (with Schokland and another former
island, Urk, creating a pair of oddball bulges in the otherwise
tidy pattern).
