Eemmeer Lake

Hours: Open year-round

Admission: Free

Eemmeer is a shallow lake in the central Netherlands, situated between reclaimed polders of Flevoland and the older mainland provinces. It forms part of the series of lakes and wetlands created and retained during 20th-century land reclamation projects.

The lake is used for recreational boating, fishing and birdwatching, with reedbeds and shallow margins that attract waterfowl. There are no large built monuments on the lake itself; activity centres around small marinas, shoreline villages and nature areas.

The Eemmeer sits in the Low Countries’ polder landscape and links hydrologically to neighbouring lakes and channels created during the Zuiderzee Works and subsequent regional water-management projects.

• Role in local landscape: Part of a chain of shallow lakes and water bodies that separate the Flevoland polders from the older mainland, important for local boating and birdlife.

• Visit at dawn or dusk if you're after birds - the shallow water and reed margins around Eemmeer are most active in the early morning and late afternoon.
• If you want calm waters for paddling or kite/windsurfing, opt for weekdays or early mornings to avoid the busiest weekend sailing crowds.
• Explore viewpoints and short roadside stopping points on the Flevoland shore rather than trying to access the open lake from a single marina - scattered pull-offs and cycle routes give good vantage points without needing a boat.