Holiday apartment in Almere: Water, Nature and Architecture

Almere combines a 42-kilometre coastline with water, nature and striking modern urban architecture. The coast is ideal for sunbathing, celebrations and water sports. Almere is situated on the Gooimeer, as well as the IJmeer and the Markermeer. The city can also be explored on two wheels: its cycling network covers 500 kilometres, of which 440 kilometres run along completely separated cycle paths. For connections beyond the region, there are six railway stations and direct train connections to destinations including Amsterdam, Utrecht, Groningen and The Hague.

Water

At Almeerderstrand, paths run along the dunes, while the surrounding green landscape can be explored by bicycle. The SEC Almere outdoor park offers canoeing, survival trekking, archery, paintball and scooter trails.

Nature

In the stadsbos Pampushout, the Groene Oase Route leads through a landscape where hikers can look for signs of deer, foxes and hares. Reed warblers, great reed warblers and bluethroats live in the reed beds. A different landscape can be found in the Oostvaardersplassen, a wetland area between Almere and Lelystad. It is home to various bird species and special grazing animals. The Oostvaardersplassen are part of Nationaal Park Nieuw Land and have cycling and hiking trails.

The Natuurbelevingcentrum de Oostvaarders can be reached from Almere Oostvaarders railway station in less than ten minutes by bicycle or in 30 minutes on foot. The centre presents the exhibition “Oostvaardersplassen 120,000 jaar geleden”, featuring Neanderthal tools and bones of prehistoric animals. A large spoonbill colony has lived in the Lepelaarplassen since the 1970s; the area is also home to more than 300 bird species. Visitors can get around on foot or by bicycle and watch birds from observation huts. The landscape of the Lepelaarplassen includes reed beds, willow forests, blackberry bushes, ponds and wet grasslands.

Culture

Almere also has archaeological and urban-history facets. The Zenit site is one of Almere’s oldest archaeological sites. Flint, charred hazelnut shells and charcoal were found at the De Buitenkant site; these finds demonstrate that people lived there between 10,000 and 6,000 years ago. The Erfgoedhuis Almere presents the area’s prehistory, shipping on the Zuiderzee, and the origins and development of the city of Almere. The centre also offers lectures, exhibitions and activities for children.

Almere offers modern architectural highlights designed, among others, by Liesbeth van der Pol, Rem Koolhaas, René van Zuuk and Herman Hertzberger. VVV Almere offers five bookable guided city walks focusing on the city’s architectural highlights. Cabaret, music, musicals, opera, theatre, dance and youth theatre are on the programme at Kunstlinie in Almere Centrum. De Fantasie has a special story: the building was constructed in 1982 as part of a competition on the theme of unconventional housing.

Activities

Almere Jungle combines a zoo with a botanical garden. The botanical garden contains exotic and protected plants, including the giant water lily. Stadslandgoed de Kemphaan includes the Zuiderzeespeelbos play forest. The grounds of Stadslandgoed de Kemphaan are open to the public and accessible at any time for walks around the grounds or through the surrounding forest. Fun Forest Almere has eight high-ropes-course routes with zip lines over the water and through the forests.

For longer cycling routes, there is the 41.7-kilometre Almere Nature Route, which starts at VVV Almere. It leads through the city and along the Oostvaardersplassen nature reserve.

Other destinations: Almere, Zeewolde, Urk, Dronten, Lelystad, Noordoostpolder.

To the main travel overview: Flevoland.