A visit to Antony Gormley’s Exposure sculpture in Lelystad makes for an interesting day trip from Amsterdam.
The striking 26-metre-high steel artwork stands beside the Markermeer at the start of the Houtribdijk and is easily reached by public transport. The trip can also be combined with visits to the nearby Batavia Stad Fashion Outlet and Batavialand Museum.
Exposure sculpture at a glance
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Gormley’s Exposure is one of the most distinctive pieces of art in the Netherlands. According to Landartflevoland it is made up of 8,245 steel diagonals, 547 junctions and 14,284 bolts. You can visualise some design features on Gormley’s own site here.
From a distance you can easily see the form of the crouching man suspended in time. As you get closer the structure appears to change shape becoming almost abstract in form.
How To Get To Antony Gormley’s Exposure on Foot
Note that this walking route includes steps and may not be suitable for wheelchair users or those with limited mobility. Visitors arriving by car can access the sculpture area more directly.
The route can also be completed by bicycle using the same cycle paths mentioned.
Exposure: Visitor Tips
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Starting at the Batavia Stad bus stop on Lelybaan turn left onto Bataviaplein and head towards the waterfront.
From the waterfront edge you get a view of the Exposure sculpture – which is around 700m from that point in a straight line. However the distance to walk to the sculpture is 2.2km – this takes about 20 minutes.
From the waterfront continue towards the right (northerly direction) on Oostvaardersdijk 01, passing the Batavia ship on your left side.
There are a couple of signposts here showing the direction towards Exposure and the Bataviastrand beach.
Keep walking straight on towards the bridge (Houtribsluisbrug) about 500m in front.
The bridge is the beginning of the Houtribdijk, a 26km dike road (N307) running over the water between Lelystad (Flevoland) and Enkhuizen (North Holland).
Strangely there are no more signs giving direction to Exposure from here.
You need to get up onto the bridge and cross over it using its cycle lane as a walking path. First walk under the bridge to the other side – you then have 2 choices to get up onto the bridge
Either walk 50m beyond the bridge to the start of the cycle lane. Cross over the road and walk up the cycle lane path which makes a clockwise loop up onto the bridge road.
Some visitors use the worn path up the grass verge as a shortcut, though the official route is via the cycle path ramp.
At the top, start walking on the cycle lane in the direction of the water. The bridge crossing is safe using the cycle lane, though traffic can be heavy and noisy with cars and trucks passing nearby. Also watch for cyclists.
Continue on foot across the bridge. The Houtribsluizen is a double-lock system opened in 1975 which separates the IJsselmeer (on your right) from the Markermeer (to the left). It is a working waterway which means that the bridge can be opened briefly to allow marine traffic to pass.
Continue over the second part of the bridge. In nesting season, watch out for protective seagulls!
At the other side of the bridge where the road veers right you will see a Nieuw Land sign – make a U-turn and head down the steps. Cyclists can continue and loop down to the car park.
There is a small car park area for those who have come off the N307. There is also an info plaque about the Exposure next to the roundabout. At the bottom of the steps turn right and continue under the bridge.
After the bridge you walk in a straight line, past the camping area. The Exposure sculpture is at the end of the path.
On the right-hand side is the Bataviastrand beach.
To return to Batavia Stad just walk back in reverse the same way.
The area is very exposed to wind, especially when crossing the Houtribsluisbrug. On windy or rainy days bring suitable clothing.
Amsterdam to Lelystad by Public Transport
Intercity trains from NS Dutch Railways run half-hourly between Amsterdam Central station and Lelystad Centrum. The journey takes 38 minutes with a change at Almere Centrum.
Alternatively, from Amsterdam Zuid you can take the comfortable Eurocity Direct/Intercity Direct services to Leystad Centrum.
The standard day return fare (Amsterdam Centraal-Lelystad) is €26.60 (2026) plus €1.50 extra for a disposable ticket.
From Lelystad Centrum station you can take EBS RRReis bus 3 (half-hourly) which reaches Batavia Stad in 11 minutes. Pay €2.27 for a single trip or check-in and out with a contactless debit/credit card or OV-chip card.
The 1-3 day Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket (€23/€34/€44) is valid on all regional transport – it includes the Amsterdam-Lelystad train but NOT bus 3 to Batavia Stad. Book Amsterdam & Region Travel Tickets online here
If arriving by car then use the small parking area mentioned near the sculpture just after the Houtribsluisbrug bridge off the N307. From the parking area it is only a few minutes’ walk to Exposure.
You can book a rental car with Discover Cars here which checks all the main rental firms.
Exposure, beginning of the Houtribdijk (N307 road), 8242 PA Lelystad
This article was originally published on 7 July 2026.
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