Wrecks of Spakenburg - Bunschoten-Spakenburg

If you cycle past the harbour of Spakenburg, take a good look at the water. Because a bit further on, in the Eemmeer, lies something special: dozens of old fishing boats, partly sunken, partly still visible at low tide. They are also called the botter graveyard.

In the time of the Zuiderzee, botters sailed out here every day to fish. But after the closure of the Zuiderzee, it suddenly ended. Many ships were worth nothing anymore, and so they were sunk here just off the coast.

At normal tides you don’t see much of them, unless you go out on the water with a boat. Every now and then, however, the area dries out so much that many wooden hulls stick out of the water. You can still see the shapes of the ships exactly, some even with the name still on them. An impressive sight, as if history itself briefly floats to the surface.

There is an information board at the pier, so feel free to step off. A short walk and you stand face to face with this forgotten fleet. A unique piece of fishing history, right in the middle of the landscape.