another dike...

Already more than 400 years ago, between 1607 and 1612, the Dutch managed to drain land with 43 mills in an area that was then still an inland sea. The inland lake De Beemster then changed into a beautiful landscape that is 3.5 meters below sea level and is divided into a tight geometric pattern of squares and quadrants.

World Heritage
Jan Adriaenszoon Leeghwater, a millmaker and hydraulic engineer, was the man under whose leadership this happened. When the reclamation was completed, the new land appeared to be made of fertile clay. The land was parceled out and rented out to farmers and farmers, and rich merchants built their stately mansions and country houses there. De Beemster was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999 as "a creative masterpiece created by people," with 17th-century ideals still clearly perceptible throughout the area.