1999, the Beemster polder
(Between Alkmaar and Purmerend, Province of Noord-Holland)
The Beemster polder, an early 17th-century reclamation, is one of the oldest areas in the Netherlands to have been reclaimed. The old roads and watercourses, dykes and ring canals, and settlements and buildings are largely intact in the geometrically arranged landscape with its chequerboard pattern.

Motivation
In 1999 the World Heritage Committee decided to inscribe the Beemster on the World Heritage List by virtue of cultural criteria (1), (2) and (4).
(1): The Beemster polder is a masterpiece of creative planning, in which the ideals of ancient times and the Renaissance are applied in the design of a reclaimed landscape.
(2): The innovative and visionary landscape of the Beemster polder has had a profound and lasting impact on reclamation projects in Europe and elsewhere.
(4): The realisation of the Beemster polder marks a major step forward in man's relationship with water at a crucial period of social and economic development.