Thought the Netherlands was a small country? Well, you’re not wrong there. But there is a new Dutch archipelago with five artificial islands, just 9 km into Markermeer, making the country just a little bit less smaller. They’re collectively called Marker Wadden, and they’re here to stay!

In prachtig (en jaloersmakend) Engels beschreven in the Guardian: ons typisch Nederlandse pionieren op de grens van land en water. Met Marker Wadden als jongste voorbeeld in een lange traditie. Deze keer voor vogels, vissen en mensen…https://t.co/62cLBaBcBK

— Roel Posthoorn (@markerwadden) April 28, 2019

Marker Wadden in the Netherlands: How was it created?

Markermeer is a shallow lake in the Netherlands, with a depth of just 3 to 5 m, and is a total of 700 sq km. It is right in between the provinces of North Holland, Flevoland, and IJsselmeer. The artificial islands of Marker Wadden are in the north and are an attempt to restore the nature of the shallow lake.

The very first of the artificial islands was inaugurated all the way back in 2016 and was open to visitors.

According to their website, they are created using “sand, clay and sludge from the Markermeer”. It is meant to be a natural haven for different types of fish and birds to raise the biodiversity of the place. But, it isn’t only for them, but also for anybody who wants to explore these islands. They also have a small hut that is next to the harbour, where volunteers are welcome to stay to help take care of the islands.

How to get to the Marker Wadden islands in the Netherlands?

This year, you can take a ferry there to explore them, where they have bird-watching huts, a lookout tower, hiking trails, and nice, sandy beaches. Looking for something to do this summer in the Netherlands? Why not here? Buy your tickets on the website, but be sure to know the schedule. You have to get to the port of Lelystad, and the rest is taken care of!

So do you think this would be a worthwhile daytrip? There are still large parts of the islands that under construction, but it couldn’t hurt to explore the other places, right? So let us know if you want to go to the Marker Wadden islands in the Netherlands!