Wormer, West Graftdijk and Purmerend Forts love

The beautiful National Landscape of Low Holland is a natural and cultural-historical tour de force. The area of 51400 hectares is bursting with reclaimed land, peat meadows and many bodies of water that attract waterfowl. A typical characteristic and traditional Dutch image that you will see a lot are the cows in the grassy meadows. The National Landscape also contains many fortresses of the Defense Line of Amsterdam, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The nearby island of Marken has retained its characteristic traditional 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 uses. For example, the fortress served as a prison for conscientious objectors and a number of prominent NSB members, but a number of political delinquents were also detained here. 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 aan de Jisperweg, like the other forts you will encounter during this bike tour, also belongs to the Defense Line of Amsterdam. Because the sand with which the terrain 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 bill and swan flower grow here. The fort is only open to visitors once every five years, but it is still 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 retractable dome with artillery and machine gun emplacements 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 total defense line was built between 1880 and 1914 and had dozens of forts. The next fort on the route is Fort aan de Nekkerweg, also known as Fort Beemster. This fort has unique water reservoirs and a water deferrization facility and is still used for water collection. Originally there were no plans for a fort on this site and the Fort on Nekkerweg was added to the Defense Line of Amsterdam only later. The fort was taken into use in 1912, although the year 1913 is stated on the facade. The fort was used as a prison in the period 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 near 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 guard's house and a shed have survived. The warehouse has been used as a dump trade since 1969, making the Fort near Kwadijk the most damaged fort in 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 those convicted of collaboration with the German occupiers were held here. In 1981 the fort was given a new destination and the buildings are used by a wine importer. You cycle out of Purmerend and just outside the city limits windmill Nekker is the last sight on your route. This mill was part of a corridor, which consisted of two shovel mills in total and was later expanded. Of the original mill corridor, only this mill has survived history, because it was located at a favorable point in the polder that also had to be drained later. Do you want to know more about the best kept secrets of Laag Holland? Then surf to www.laagholland.com and get inspired.