Schokland

12km (7 1/2 miles) E of Urk

Like Urk, this used to be an island, but it was uninhabited by the time the polders were created. Because of the threat of inundation, the island community was evacuated in 1859. Nowadays Schokland seems like a phantom island, outlined by trees emerging from the flat polder, with a lonely church, a cannon that was fired to warn of rising waters, and a few old anchors as witnesses to its past. It's special enough, though, to have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

If you make it here, don't miss the Museum Schokland, Middlebuurt 3 (tel. 0527/251-396; www.schokland.nl), in a church (1834) that stands on slightly raised ground. It holds Bronze Age tools, mammoth bones, and other prehistoric relics; and stone coffins from the 1100s and pottery dating as far back as 900. All were discovered on the sea bottom when the polder was drained. The museum is open April to October Tuesday to Sunday (also Mon July-Aug) from 11am to 5pm, and November to March Friday to Sunday from 11am to 5pm (closed Jan 1 and Dec 25). Admission is 3.50€ ($5.60) for adults, 2.75€ ($4.40) for seniors and children ages 6 to 12, and free for children 5 and under.