It is very special: via the Schellingwouderbrug you cycle away from pre-war Amsterdam and on the other side is a vast peat meadow area with beautiful villages such as Durgerdam, Ransdorp and Holysloot. These villages, together with the surrounding meadows, are part of rural North.
The area joined Amsterdam in 1921, partly to give the city a green edge. The villages cooperated in the annexation because they did not have the resources to repair the damage caused by the flood in 1916.
Under Amsterdam's care, the area has been quite successful in keeping its character. Durgerdam is located on the dike that was constructed after the floods during the Sint Elizabeths flood in 1421.
The hamlet of IJdoorn, which was approximately on the location of the current lighthouse island, disappeared into the waves during this disaster. Durgerdam has a protected villagescape. Characteristic is that, like elsewhere in Waterland, many houses are largely made of wood.
This makes the houses less heavy and can be better supported by the marshy soil. The wooden houses in Waterland are painted in the colors of the 'Waterland palette': shades of green, white, yellow, gray, blue and red-brown. Each village has its own predominant colors.