Espel

About

Espel was built on land reclaimed from what was once the Zuiderzee sea. Founded in 1956 as one of Flevoland's carefully planned "green villages," it bears the name of Espelbergh, a settlement north of Urk that was tragically washed away during the devastating All Saints' Flood of 1570. Today's Espel thrives at the intersection of modern land-reclamation technology and the traditional agricultural lifestyle. The surrounding countryside transforms each spring into a spectacular array of tulips and other bulbous flowers, celebrated with seasonal walking and cycling routes. To the west, along the IJsselmeer dyke, the Windpark Noordoostpolder—the Netherlands' largest hybrid on-shore and off-shore wind farm—represents modern sustainability.