A Dictionary of Dutchness

Groene Hart

The Groene Hart (green heart) is the rural region hemmed in by Utrecht, Amsterdam, Leiden and Rotterdam. It contains some of the oldest villages in the Netherlands, with a landscape made up of old farms, willow-bordered ditches and early polders (areas of reclaimed land). Numerous infrastructure projects, such as the high-speed train link to Brussels, have been delayed because of their impact on this sensitive region.