The Zuiderzee Museum Enkhuizen shows what life was like before the construction of the 20 miles long Afsluitdijk, closing off the former Zuiderzee.
There are more than a hundred historic buildings from the former Zuiderzee area.
There is information about the lost Zuiderzee islands: Pampus, Marken, Schokland, Urk and Wieringen.
There are demonstrations of smoking eel, old crafts, the making of traditional costumes. Volunteers explain how life was a century ago.
Nearby Enkhuizen is a beautifully preserved harbour town with the Dromedaris lighthouse as the most striking building.
The reclamation of the Markerwaard was the last part of the Zuiderzee Works, which is why a 16-miles dam was built between Enkhuizen and Lelystad. The water was cut off from the sea and rivers. Open water has remained where originally land was intended.