Day 4 – Enkhuizen and Medemblik

The Netherlands is truly a technological marvel. Bicycling up on the dikes gives one the unique perspective of the land that sits below the surface of the sea. To one side is the vast expanse of the IJsselmeer, waves licking the shores about halfway up the dike. On the other side, far below, are the farmlands and houses. Place a reasonably shallow bowl in a pool of water and see how the lip of the bowl keeps the water from pouring into its interior, a space that rests below the surface of the water. That’s what the dikes do for Holland: keep it from getting inundated by the waters of the North Sea.

The Zuidersee Museum in Enkhuizen was created in the mid-20th century as a hallmark of the seafaring life that existed on the periphery of this inland sea, a pocket of the North Sea jutting down through the marshy lowlands. As the outdoor museum shows, life was hard for Zuidersee fishing communities who lived in tiny houses and sparse conditions, always under threat of flooding if the sea grew wild and threatened the stability of the dikes. Several catastrophic floods breaking through the dikes killed thousands of people over the centuries.

Eventually the Dutch had had enough of living at the mercy of nature. An enterprising Dutchman, Cornelis Lely, a civil engineer, designed what would become the grandest marvels of human engineering, the Afsluitdijk, the world’s largest dike that separated the Zuidersee from the North Sea, and eventually calmed the tempestuous waters that were a constant threat to seaside villages. The waters of the new IJsselmeer (IJsseel Lake) gradually turned from salty to sweet as the inflow of rivers flushed it out. The wild waters had been tamed.

Above: the original Zuidersee, many centuries ago.

Right: the original plan to build four "polders" in the IJsselmeer, man-made lands to expand the living territory of Holland. Only three were realized.

But that doesn’t mean the threat is over for the Dutch. Rising sea levels due to climate change still threaten the fortress of the dikes, especially on the west coast of the North Sea. Most of the dikes in Holland are in the process of being renovated, heightened and reinforced in line with scientific projections for sea level rise in the next 100 years. Even the Afsluitdijk is undergoing major renovations, less than 100 years after it was built.

Enkhuizen and Medemblik are two seaside towns that benefit from the taming of the inland sea. Both are steeped in history but vibrant with modern life, including ubiquitous outdoor dining and thriving shopping. As we cycle into Medemblik at the end of the day, we pass a sign reading “Watersport Capital of the World.” An array of brightly colored kite surfers brave the heavy winds in the bay.

Our destination is the Bed & Breakfast Westerhaven, an elegantly appointed B&B on a picturesque canal not far from the city center. For some reason we are both exhausted when we arrive, though we have not travelled far. We take an evening stroll through the town, then prop ourselves up in bed to watch a Friday night movie in the quiet of our room. The late setting sun creates a silhouette of the towering steeple of Sint-Martinuskerk, the view through our large picture window.