The landscape of the Western Netherlands is the result of centuries of interaction between man and nature. The area around the Schie, between Delft, Schiedam and Rotterdam, is also an ancient landscape. It began well before our era when the first people settled in this area. In the early Middle Ages, the Schie was just a small peat river. Between 1000 and 1200 the wild peat bogs were reclaimed into an agricultural landscape. After this major reclamation, the Schie served as a drainage canal, but also as a shipping connection between the emerging cities. In the Golden Age, it became a towpath and a waterway for inland navigation. The surrounding landscape changed along with it all those centuries. Due to the excellent accessibility of the watery area, the cities emerged. Competitors Schiedam, Delft and Rotterdam dug canals to give themselves the best position in the Dutch trade network. The cities began a period of unprecedented growth. Urban expansions pushed further and further over the old cultural landscape. Agrarian use made way for recreation, cultural areas were finally transformed into "new" nature. The circle seems complete again.