The Broken Wheel – The Unique Waterside Suburb in the Netherlands



Het Brekkense Wiel — Dutch for “The Broken Wheel” — is a unique waterside residential area and tourist attraction in the Netherlands. Located between the Frisian Lakes and IJsselmeer, the largest lake in the Netherlands, the aptly-named Het Brekkense Wiel is a suburb made up of several properties on small plots of land resembling broken wheels and surrounded by water. Every building consists of several homes, each accessible by car and boat, which makes it very popular with water sports enthusiasts. Because of its unique layout and visually-impressive design — especially when seen from above — Het Brekkense Wiel is a major tourist draw for the country. The residential community covers an area of about 27 acres and consists of around 230 homes. The areas dozens of broken wheels ensure that everyone has easy access to the water, as well as at least one parking space for their car. Homes there sell for over €350,000 ($348,134). The project was completed in 1992 and quickly became a popular and coveted are for locals.