Vijfhuizen

Hidden beneath the wing of Schiphol Airport lies Vijfhuizen, a village with a story as layered as the Dutch earth itself. Imagine standing here, on ground reclaimed from the Haarlemmermeer, a lake that once threatened to swallow the entire region. Vijfhuizen, whose name literally translates to “Five Houses”, was more than just a handful of dwellings. It was a lifeline, a stubborn holdout against the “Waterwolf”, as the lake was ominously nicknamed. Before the monumental feat of draining the Haarlemmermeer in the mid-19th century, Vijfhuizen clung to a narrow strip of land, a dike protecting it from the encroaching waters. The village, stretching from Haarlem towards Nieuwerkerk, served as a vital link on the route between Haarlem and Amsterdam. This precarious existence shaped the spirit of Vijfhuizen. When the Haarlemmermeer was finally tamed, the ring canal bisected the village, leaving part of Vijfhuizen within the newly created polder, and another just across the water in Haarlem. The Kromme Spieringweg, a testament to Vijfhuizen’s resilience, traces the path of the old dike that shielded the village from the Waterwolf’s hungry jaws. On January 22, 1853, near Vijfhuizen, the first church service within the reclaimed polder echoed with the hopes of a new beginning. Today, Vijfhuizen is a blend of old and new. The original dike village is now embraced by modern neighborhoods like Stellinghof, a testament to the ever-evolving Dutch landscape. South of the village stands the Fort bij Vijfhuizen, a concrete behemoth, part of the Stelling van Amsterdam, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Within its walls, art now flourishes. The fort, also known as the Kunstfort, hosts exhibitions and studios, transforming a bastion of defense into a haven for creativity. And just a stone’s throw away, the vibrant pulse of Mysteryland, the annual dance festival, electrifies the former Floriade grounds. Vijfhuizen, from five houses defying a watery grave to a thriving village embracing the future, embodies the Dutch spirit of innovation and adaptation.