Our friends from the far north are also participating in the Ode to the Landscape. In Friesland you will find many dunes and dikes, forests, beaches, lakes and rivers. Nowhere else will you find so many different landscapes in so few square meters as in Friesland. But, we secretly just like it. And one thing is certain. This is where you want to go. Promise.

In September 2021, the Wadden Sea will be the setting for a Wad Opera. The story of fisherman Peter Grimes is told, giving you a glimpse into life in a small fishing village. Furthermore, in the north of Friesland you will find the only two official Dark Sky Parks in the Netherlands. In Lauwersmeer National Park on the border of Friesland, Groningen and Terschelling to be precise. But we can already hear you thinking, what is such a Dark Sky Park? Dark Sky Parks are by the Dark Sky Association officially designated due to minimal or absent light pollution. With a cloudless sky you can see the Milky Way or even the Northern Lights. And since it is so dark, you can also spot many stars or animals that you encounter less often during the day.

Image on the left of Team Horsthuis

Image on the right by Hans Jellema

Ok we like history. And let the Dutch Waterlines be a real hero story of Dutch history. The Dutch Waterlines served as a defense line during warfare from 1815 to 1940. The lines (still) consist of a complex of locks, forts and fortified towns to protect a large part of Holland and the cities of Amsterdam and Utrecht. And guess what? As soon as the enemies got too close, the areas were immediately flooded. In 1996, the historical value of the lines was recognized when the Defense Line of Amsterdam was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. We find it interesting. In the evening of September 3-4 and 10-11, the operation and significance of many waterworks along the entire length of the Dutch Waterlines (from Edam to Biesbosch) will be shown by a real light show and various storytellers. We think it's impressive. There are also Fort Safaris, where the ranger takes visitors on a discovery tour of special flora and fauna in and around the forts. Nice.

Image to the left of Abe Jonker

Image on the right by Martin van Lokven

We continue to Limburg. To the Maas to be precise. This rivière de l'amour has literally left its mark on the landscape of Limburg. You have the Grensmaas, Zandmaas, Maasplassen, Maasduinen and the Maasvallei. All the winding movements of the Maas have created a real hilly landscape that is unique to the Dutch landscape. Ode to the Maas!

In the exhibition Machtig Maas, Servé Hermans (leader of Toneelgroep Maastricht) shows four faces of the river: muse, monster, murderer and mother. The exhibition can be seen until August 29. Artists, composers and directors will also work together on the Grensmaasopera in Schipperskerk on June 27 at 15.00 p.m. and July 2/3/4 at 21.00 p.m.

Image by Jan Bijl

You might not think so. But North Holland is the largest peninsula in the Netherlands. In the west you will find the North Sea, in the north the Wadden Sea and in the east the IJsselmeer. The land of the sea is surrounded by historic cities such as Amsterdam, Alkmaar, Haarlem, Hoorn and Enkhuizen. You will also find a real polder landscape here.

There are still 160 historic windmills spread across the North Holland landscape. From May 21, 8 windmills will tell their own story about the landscape in which they are located. An ode to the mills.

Image by Jan Bijl