by There are train journeys where one looks at rolling hills past the carriage window. I love such routes, be they in the Alps, Iberia or the Balkans. Things are different in the Netherlands, where pancake flat landscapes are very influential. But even in the flatlands there is often visual drama. The railways that line the Dutch lands around Apeldoorn are amazing. And there is a subtle beauty, especially at low sun angles, to the secondary railways that follow the IJssel River downstream from Zutphen to Zwolle.
Zwolle makes a great base for exploring the north-east of the Netherlands, even more so if your budget stretches to a night or two at the excellent Ter Borch in Zwolle (doubles from €175) right next to the station. From Zwolle, you might head north to Friesland or take the short branch line out to the pretty town of Kampen. Or explore the Netherlands’ newest main railway (completed in 2012), the Hanzelijn, which runs west from Zwolle through the province of Flevoland. The Hanzelijn opened in 2012 and crosses a distant country, much of it below sea level. All thanks to the far-sighted ingenuity of the engineer Cornelis Lely (1854-1929) and the hard work of the Dutch boatmen and drainers who created a whole new province from the sea.
There are two fast trains each time leaving Zwolle on the Hanzelijn, all running via Lelystad to Almere and from there on to Schiphol airport and Den Haag. There are also two slow trains per hour that only go as far as Lelystad, the capital of Flevoland. The railway’s name pays homage to the region’s historic Hanseatic connections. For example, Zwolle prospered from the 13th century through the trade and commerce fostered by the Hanseatic League.
New land for new communities
Zwolle is a very welcoming town, the kind of place that is hard to leave. So it’s a little reluctantly that I make my way to the station to catch a regional train along the Hanzelijn to Lelystad. Within minutes, our empty train is cruising across a striking red bridge over the River IJssel. The bridge represents the Netherlands’ commitment to climate-friendly travel: a two-track railway route with plenty of space for cyclists and pedestrians, but no provision for cars. Away to the north, the skyline of Kampen, another community that makes much of its Hanseatic history, is dominated by a large Gothic church.
The whole idea of building a railway from Zwolle across the newly regenerated poles was controversial, and the planners of the route had to face many environmental challenges. We dive into a long tunnel under the fragile marshes of Drontermeer, along the way crossing the border into Flevoland. Isn’t it amazing that as much of this railway is above ground as it was beneath the waves a century ago?
Wildlife and wilderness
There is a wistfully beautiful water meadow with long lines of poplars marching to the horizon. There are shiny new communities like Dronten and Lelystad, both founded in the 1960s, the latter of course named after Cornelis Lely. And there is also a real taste of desert, a very rare commodity in the Netherlands, because some of the newly claimed lands from the sea have not yet been fully recovered.
“You’ve got to watch out for the Big Five,” says a woman on the train who faces her and explains that she works on the ecology of polder landscapes. Lions and elephants seem unlikely, but I find that this part of Flevoland is rich in wildlife possibilities. The Big Five in these parts are sea eagles, heck cattle (which look oddly like bison), wild konik ponies, foxes and red deer.
I discovered amazing modern architecture in Lelystad, much of it set amidst watery, green landscapes
So take a hint. The next time you arrive in the Netherlands, don’t stay in the big cities or jump on the fast train to another country. Make time to explore smaller cities like Zwolle. Take the slow train along the Hanzelijn via Lelystad to Zwolle to get an insight into how the Dutch enthusiasm for healing the sea has shaped the development of new landscapes and communities.
On two trips, in June and November of this year respectively, I thoroughly explored the Hanzelijn, stopping at stations along the route. I discovered amazing modern architecture in Lelystad, much of it set amidst watery, green landscapes. In addition, challenges were seen before a community that developed very quickly in the 70’s and now, like some new towns in Britain, must reinvent itself for the younger generation.
Related: Rail route of the month: across eastern Germany to the Polish city of Szczecin
But the biggest surprise of the Hanzelijn is the engagement with nature. I walked out of Lelystad to Oostvaardersplassen where on the south side of the IJsselmeer one of the best rewilling projects in Europe is taking place. Within the compass of an hour or two, I slipped from modern urban Europe into a wilderness of water meadows and young woodland. It is a place for buzzards and reed geese, reed bunting and terns.
Those who do not wish to explore on foot will still get a good view of these new landscapes on the comfortable trains that run over the Hanzelijn. The railway passes through the youngest national park in the Netherlands. The Nieuw Land national park, at 112 square miles the second largest in the country, protects and preserves the natural landscapes of the territory recovered from the sea over the past century by creating a series of embankments that separated the Zuider Zee from the North Sea. Lely, an enthusiastic railway promoter, was a key supporter of that ambitious program of flood prevention and land reclamation. His innocent spirit must surely smile on the Hanzelijn, which connects the communities of Flevoland with the rest of the Netherlands.
Travel details
Zwolle makes an excellent first stop in the Netherlands. Fast trains run every 30 minutes from Schiphol airport via the Hanzelijn direct to Zwolle taking 69 minutes. There is also a half-hourly connection from Amsterdam Centraal to Zwolle, with one easy train change at Almere Centrum and a total journey time of 65 minutes. Trains run frequently along the Hanzelijn from Almere to Zwolle. The one-way fare, purchased at the station’s ticket machine before departure, is €17.90. NS Dagkaart for €58.80 allows unlimited rail travel in the Netherlands for a day. Or use Interrail, where a world pass allows unlimited travel in more than 30 countries. Nicky Gardner stayed on both visits at the Ter Borch in Zwolle, a boutique hotel located in a gracious villa, where doubles start at €175 B&B.
Nicky Gardner is co-author of Europe by Rail: the decisive Guide. The 17th edition available from the Guardian Book shop.
