vlie

Vlie is a Dutch toponym found in several geographic names in the Netherlands. The word is historically associated with coastal and maritime contexts and persists in modern place names as a marker of the region’s water and landforms. In historical geography, the Vlie referred to a tidal waterway in the North Sea/Wadden Sea area that connected the Dutch coast to inland waterways. Over centuries, sedimentation and engineering projects changed the hydrology of the area, but the name remains in regional toponyms and in discussions of historical navigation and coastlines.

The most well-known contemporary use is the Vliehors, a long, sandy peninsula on the west coast of the island of Texel. The Vliehors features windswept dunes and a flat, open landscape that is notable in local geography. It is used as a military training area and, at times, is opened for public access under specific safety rules and schedules. The landscape is also a draw for tourism and nature observation when access is permitted.

Beyond these uses, Vlie appears as a general toponym in Dutch maps and discourse, reflecting its historical role in shaping coastal geography. The term also occurs as a Dutch surname, carried into records and family histories. Overall, Vlie’s significance is largely regional, rooted in the history of the Dutch coast and its shifting waterways.