The Afsluitdijk is a 32-kilometre long dike that separates the IJsselmeer from the Wadden Sea
and also directly connects the provinces of North Holland and Friesland by road. This dike runs right through the former Zuiderzee, which originally had a coastline of more than 300 kilometres, which made the area vulnerable to the water and tides. With the construction of the Afsluitdijk in 1927, the coastline was effectively shortened to just 32 kilometres, making the IJsselmeer a sweet lake, completely separated from the salt seawater on the other side of the dike. The Afsluitdijk is a very unique and impressive example of Dutch Delta design and the Vlietermonument is located on the site where the construction of the Afsluitdijk was finally closed in 1932.
