Biesbosch National Park

The Biesbosch began with a flood in 1421 that turned farmland into an inland sea, and it settled into a maze of creeks, willow woods and reed islands where the river tide still rises and falls, now by tens of centimetres rather than metres. Willow was cut here for basketry and dyke work for centuries, and the old coppice patterns are still visible in the wood. Beavers were brought back in the 1980s and are common now, though what you usually see is gnawed stumps and lodges rather than the animals. White-tailed eagles nest in the quieter sections. Marked canoe routes thread through the narrow creeks, whisper boats carry those who would rather not paddle, and cycle routes run along the polder dykes.

History

After the great flood, the area became a shallow inland water with high tides and mostly fresh water; as the rivers laid down silt, the land was flooded only at high tide and was called the Bergse Veld, and from the 18th century the Biesbosch, "forest of sedges", a network of creeks, mudflats and woods forming an inland delta (Wikipedia, De Biesbosch National Park).

What you'll find

• The creek canoe routes - marked water trails through willow and reed, narrow enough that the banks close in.
• Beaver signs - felled willows, gnawed stumps and lodges along the water, with the animals themselves mostly nocturnal.
• Whisper boats and water taxis - quiet electric craft linking the visitor centres with the interior.
• Polder dykes by bicycle - flat routes around the edge of the wetland with views over creeks and reed.

When to go

April to June for birdlife, willow in leaf and manageable insect levels; September for quieter water and autumn colour. Canoes should be booked ahead on summer weekends. Winter brings high water, wintering geese and eagles, but most hire operations close and the water taxis run on a reduced timetable.

Things to know

Mosquitoes are relentless in summer and there is nowhere to escape them mid-creek. Beavers and eagles are talked about far more often than they are seen. Some routes close during the breeding season and others need a permit. The park is split by a wide river, so crossing between halves means a ferry or a long detour, and one polder looks much like the next.

Nearby

Dordrecht lies on the northern edge, with Drimmelen and the Brabant villages on the southern side.

Key facts