by There are train trips in which one simply contemplates the hills passing beyond the window of the car. I love these types of routes, whether they are through the Alps, the Iberian Peninsula or the Balkans. Things are different in the Netherlands, where flat landscapes dominate. However, even on the plains there is often visual drama. The railway routes that skirt the Dutch heaths around Apeldoorn are wonderful. And there is a subtle beauty, especially in the low angles of the sun, in the secondary railways that follow the IJssel River downstream from Zutphen to Zwolle.
Zwolle is a great base for exploring the northeast of the Netherlands, especially if your budget stretches to a night or two at the excellent Ter Borch in Zwolle (double from €175) right next to the station. From Zwolle you can head north to Friesland or take the short branch to the pretty town of Kampen. Or explore the Netherlands’ newest main railway line (completed in 2012), the Hanzelijn, which runs west from Zwolle through the province of Flevoland. The Hanzelijn opened in 2012 and traverses a land of distant horizons, much of it below sea level. All thanks to the far-sighted ingenuity of engineer Cornelis Lely (1854-1929) and the hard work of Dutch dams and drainers who have created a completely new province from the sea.
There are two fast trains every hour leaving Zwolle via Hanzelijn, all passing through Lelystad to Almere and then on to Schiphol Airport and Den Haag. There are also two slow trains every hour that go only as far as Lelystad, the capital of Flevoland. The railway’s name pays tribute to the region’s historic Hanseatic connections. For example, Zwolle prospered from the 13th century onwards thanks to trade promoted by the Hanseatic League.
New land for new communities
Zwolle is a very welcoming city, the kind of place that is difficult to leave. So, somewhat reluctantly, I head to the station to take a regional train via Hanzelijn to Lelystad. Within minutes, our empty train crosses a striking red bridge over the IJssel River. The bridge reflects the Dutch commitment to climate-friendly travel: a double-track railway route with ample space for cyclists and pedestrians, but no provision for cars. Further north, the skyline of Kampen, another community that places great importance on its Hanseatic history, is dominated by a large Gothic church.
The very idea of building a railway from Zwolle through newly reclaimed polders was controversial, and route planners had to face countless environmental challenges. We immerse ourselves in a long tunnel under the fragile marshes of Drontermeer, crossing the border with Flevoland. Isn’t it wonderful that so much of this railway runs through land that a century ago was beneath the waves?
Wildlife and nature
There are wistfully beautiful water meadows with long rows of cottonwoods marching towards the horizon. There are shiny new communities like Dronten and Lelystad, both founded in the 1960s; the latter, of course, is named after Cornelis Lely. And there is also a real hint of wild nature, a very rare commodity in the Netherlands, as some of these recently reclaimed lands from the sea are not yet fully domesticated.
“You have to be careful with the Big Five,” says a freckled woman on the train, explaining 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 this area are sea eagles, devil cattle (which strangely resemble bison), wild konik ponies, foxes and deer.
I discovered striking modern architecture in Lelystad, much of it set amidst green and waterscapes.
So take a tip. Next time you arrive in the Netherlands, don’t stay in the big cities or take the fast train to another country. Take time to explore smaller towns like Zwolle. Take the slow train along Hanzelijn via Lelystad to Zwolle to glimpse how the Dutch enthusiasm for taming 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 Hanzelijn, making stops at stations along the route. I discovered striking modern architecture in Lelystad, much of it set amidst green and waterscapes. And we also saw the challenges facing a community that developed very quickly in the 70s and which now, like some new British cities, must reinvent itself for a younger generation.
Related: Railway route of the month: through eastern Germany to the Polish city of Szczecin
But Hanzelijn’s biggest surprise is his commitment to nature. I walked from Lelystad to Oostvaardersplassen, where one of the largest reconstruction projects in Europe is underway on the southern flank of Lake IJsselmeer. In just an hour or two, I went from modern urban Europe to a desert of water meadows and young forests. It is a place for vultures and barnacles, reed buntings and sedge warblers.
Those who don’t want to explore on foot will still be able to enjoy good views of these new landscapes on the comfortable trains that run through Hanzelijn. The railway runs through the youngest national park in the Netherlands. The Nieuw Land National Park, at 112 square miles and the second largest in the country, protects and preserves the natural landscapes of the territory reclaimed from the sea over the last century by creating a series of dikes that separated the Zuider Zee from the North Sea . One of the main proponents of that ambitious flood prevention and land reclamation program was Lely, himself an enthusiastic promoter of railways. Surely his spirit must smile benignly at Hanzelijn, who connects the communities of Flevoland with the rest of the Netherlands.
Details of the trip
Zwolle makes a great first stop in the Netherlands. Fast trains run every 30 minutes from Schiphol Airport via Hanzelijn directly to Zwolle in 69 minutes. There is also a connection every half hour from Amsterdam Centraal to Zwolle, with a simple train change at Almere Centrum and a total journey time of 65 minutes. There are frequent trains that run throughout the Hanzelijn from Almere to Zwolle. A one-way ticket, purchased from the station’s ticket machine before departure, costs €17.90. An NS Dagkaart for €58.80 allows unlimited train travel in the Netherlands for one day. Or use Interrail, where a global pass allows unlimited travel in over 30 countries. Nicky Gardner stayed on both visits at the Ter Borch in Zwolle, a boutique hotel set in an elegant villa, where double rooms cost from €175 for bed and breakfast.
Nicky Gardner is co-author of Europe by Rail: The Definitive Guide. The 17th edition It is available in The Guardian Bookshop.
