National Park De Biesbosh

OVERVIEW

Browse a water-oriented museum in a lush river delta and see the wetlands up close while cruising a canal that runs through it. The Biesbosch Museum tells the story of the surrounding waterscape starting with the disastrous flood of 1421 that destroyed 17 villages. Other exhibits depict how the land has been altered to protect it from similar events. The sod-roofed museum is made up of seven pavilions, most of them devoted to different aspects of water management. The permanent collection contains historical photographs, pumps and tools and details about the resistance fighters that cruised the nearly impenetrable network of creeks and waterways during World War II, when the Germans occupied the Netherlands. You will cruise one of the canals that winds through De Biesbosch National Park, which has the distinction of being the largest freshwater tidal zone in Europe. Keep an eye out for beavers, geese, white-tailed eagles and ospreys.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Browse a museum that depicts how the coastal area has changed since the flood of 1421.
• See artifacts that show how the waterways have been controlled to protect the villages.
• Cruise a canal in the De Biesbosch National Park and look for wildlife, especially birds.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.