Wormer, West Graftdijk and Purmerend Forten love

The beautiful National Landscape of Laag Holland is a natural and cultural-historical tour de force. The area of 51,400 hectares is bursting with reclaimed land, peat meadows and many waters that attract water birds. A typically characteristic and typical Dutch image that you will see a lot are the cows in the grassy meadows. The National Landscape also contains many forts of the Defense Line of Amsterdam, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The nearby island of Marken has retained its characteristic costumes and old houses and is therefore an important cultural heritage, but there are also other protected village views in the area. The fort at Spijkerboor was mobilized during the First World War, but has also had other destinations. The fortress served as a prison for conscientious objectors and a number of prominent NSB members, but it also housed a number of political offenders. The fort is located in a nature reserve and is surrounded by a poplar forest and a deciduous forest, where various bird species breed. The Fort on the Jisperweg, like the other forts you encounter during this cycle tour, also belongs to the Defense Line of Amsterdam. Because the sand with which the site is reinforced contains a lot of lime, you will see a different type of flora here than at the other forts: the rare field hornflower, heron's beak and swan flower grow here. The fort is only open to visitors once every five years, but it is also worth a look from the outside. The Fort on the Middenweg is only two kilometers away from the previous fort. This fort still looks impressive and has a beautiful lifting turret with artillery and machine gun positions in the front wall. In the past, these could be reached via protected, covered corridors. Much of the original installation can still be seen in the main building. This fort gives you a good impression of how the forts of the Defense Line of Amsterdam were built and furnished. The entire defense line was built between 1880 and 1914 and had dozens of forts. The next fort on the route is the Fort on the Nekkerweg, also called Fort Beemster. This fort has unique water reservoirs and a water de-iron removal facility and is still used for water collection. Originally there were no plans for a fort at this location and the Fort on the Nekkerweg was only later added to the Defense Line of Amsterdam. The fort was put into use in 1912, although the year 1913 is stated on the facade. The fort was used as a prison between 1918 and 1921, but also at the end of the Second World War and in 1946. From 1951 to 1982 it served as a warehouse for explosives and in 2011-2012 the fort was finally converted into a luxury wellness center. The Fort at Kwadijk was originally called Battery in the Polder Zeevang, but was also known locally as an unfinished fort. The fort has been poorly preserved, since 1962 only the access road, a fort keeper's house and a shed have remained. The warehouse has been used as a dumping ground since 1969, making the Fort at Kwadijk the most damaged fort of the Defense Line of Amsterdam. You arrive at the Fort north of Purmerend. The fort and associated buildings were built in the period from 1886 to 1912. This fort also served as a prison: in 1945, suspects and convicts of collaboration with the German occupiers were held here. In 1981 the fort was repurposed and the buildings are used by a wine importer. You cycle out of Purmerend and just outside the city limits, the Nekker mill is the last attraction on your route. This mill was part of a corridor that consisted of a total of two shovel mills and was later expanded. Of the original mill, only this mill has survived history, because it was located at a favorable point in the polder that later had to be drained. Would you like to know more about the best kept secrets of Laag Holland? Then surf to www.laagholland.com and be inspired.