Holland: The Beautiful Emptiness of Waterland

Pedestrian bridge in Waterland

Waterland

Waterland is a peatland region in North-Holland, near Amsterdam. The traditional-looking village of Durgerdam you see in some of my photos is located within the Waterland area. The subsoil of Waterland consists of various layers of peat and clay, deposited by the sea and floods from the former Zuiderzee. The water level is almost equal to the land itself, which creates these beautiful views and interesting bicycle rides.

Cycling

It was a pretty cold day in February earlier this year when I came up with the brilliant idea to go out cycling. I cycled around the Dutch polders north of Amsterdam. Yep, I remember my fingers practically falling off and my toes screaming in agony. It was also much…windier…than I had expected.

Still, I don’t regret going! The silence and emptiness of the region has a strange kind of charm. I quite enjoyed taking these photos and politely nodding to surprised farmers. There weren’t exactly many people around, or cows for that matter. Lots of geese though, more than enough geese.

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14 thoughts on “Holland: The Beautiful Emptiness of Waterland

  1. Lovely shots. I’m a sucker for an interesting view of very flat land. Here in the north of England we have plenty of picturesque hills, but it’s often when i’m cycling out across the lanes of the coastal flatlands that i’m literally brought to a standstill by a view (and the physical feeling of a wide open space).

    I like the wooden walkway, the great green spaces, and the big skies you’ve captured 🙂

    1. Thanks very much for your comment! I agree, there’s a specific charm in vast pieces of land, almost empty, just endlessly stretching out before you. 🙂

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