Batavia Stad Fashion Outlet

Batavia Stad is an outlet village in Lelystad, the main town of the province of Flevoland, and it is one of the larger shopping destinations in the Netherlands for people who want brand names at reduced prices. The address is Bataviaplein, close to the harbour and the Bataviawerf, and it is laid out as a little town of its own, with open-air streets, squares and facades in various colours, rather than as an enclosed mall. Walking between the shops is more like a stroll than a trip to a shopping centre, which makes it more pleasant in good weather.

The outlet has over a hundred shops, with national and international brands selling fashion, sportswear, shoes, accessories, children's clothing and home goods, usually at lower prices than in regular stores. The discounts are mostly on goods from previous seasons, and the advertised reductions can be large, though it is wise to compare prices with those in town before buying. The streets are interspersed with cafes and restaurants, and there are seating areas and green spaces where families can pause. Opening hours are generally longer on weekends and some holidays, and the Sunday opening rules vary, so check before travelling.

The location in Lelystad adds to the outing. The town was built on land reclaimed from the sea in the second half of the twentieth century and is named after Cornelis Lely, the engineer who planned the Afsluitdijk and the polders. It is a modern place, but it has several interesting attractions close to the outlet. The Bataviawerf and Batavialand are built around the replica of the Batavia, a seventeenth-century ship of the Dutch East India Company that was wrecked off the coast of Western Australia in 1629, and the full-size replica was built here in the 1980s and 1990s using traditional methods.

Other places can fill the rest of the day. The Aviodrome aviation museum, with its large collection of aircraft, is a popular family stop, and the Natuurpark Lelystad is a wild area on the lake shore. Land art can be found in the surrounding polders, including Observatorium and Exposure, two large works that sit in the open landscape and reward a visit. In spring, the Tulip Route through the fields of Flevoland is another reason to come.

The outlet suits shoppers, families and groups who want to combine shopping with other activities in Lelystad. Go on a weekday for fewer crowds, take your time to compare prices and check what is open on the day of your visit. Lelystad is easy to reach by train from Amsterdam and Zwolle.