If you are a fan of big impressive manmade structures and you happen to be driving across Holland its probably worth taking a bit of a detour across the Afsluitdijk (Closure Dyke) that closes in the IJsselmeer off from the North Sea. This carries the A7/E22 motorway that heads north from Amsterdam.

Built in 1932, it is the kind of thing that comes from a brainstorming session where someone says let's use a few sandbags to hold the water back, and then someone at the back makes a suggestion that a 32 kilomter almost dead straight barrier against the North Sea made from 36million square meters of sand and clay dredged from the Zuidersee is a much better idea. And in hindsight it probably was.

Its not visually amazing in the same way that the Great Belt Bridge between Zealand and Funen in Denmark is but it is worth seeing at least once, and about 5km from the western end is a place to stop and appreciate what a massive feat of engineering it actually was. Don't expect sunshine and a great beach, but even on a grey cloudy autumn day standing in the wind blowing off the North Sea, then walking across the road and viewing the relatively calm waters of the IJsselmeer is an experience. As the signs at the viewing area tell you if it wasn't for this dyke then Appledorn to the south would be called Appledorn by the sea.

And to top it all if you are a history buff, it is the only area where the Dutch succeeded in holding the Germans at bay during the invasion of Holland during the early phase of world war two. This is a little known story outside Holland, but one that makes interesting reading and is a great story of how superior tactics from a small force can easily win over brute force. Read More

Definately worth a visit at least once.