It must have been a remarkable sight when the Beemster dried up. The muddy bottom of the lake suddenly became visible and stretched out to the far horizon. Were the inhabitants of the surrounding villages capable of imagining in 1612 how the future Beemster would look?
Idyllic spots
Imagine the 49 windmills at the Beemster that were responsible for keeping the land dry. It must have been a magnificent sight. The polder was divided according to mathematical compositions; all the plots were laid out perfectly and equally. The sea had threatened Amsterdam for all that time, and as soon as the lake dried up the rich Amsterdam merchants travelled to the Beemster polder, where they had their pleasure gardens landscaped with gates and arbours, vegetable and ornamental gardens. Traditionally, Westbeemster was a Catholic enclave within Protestant Beemster. A clandestine church arose here at the start of the seventeenth century, which you can still find opposite the church on Kerkplein, café de Kerckhaen.
We know our own
Today, the ‘we know our own’ village feel is still present in Westbeemster. Stay in one of the beautiful traditional farmhouses, such as De Molkenkolk and Bed & Boterham, which have been renovated as bed & breakfasts. Or pay a visit to Fort Spijkerboor, the largest fort in the Defence Line of Amsterdam. There is also a picking garden. The Beemster is unique and was placed on the UNESCO world heritage list in 1999.