Dutch Waterline from Weesp via 's-Graveland to Loenen and back

The river Vecht was formed around 600 BC and was called 'Fectio' in Roman times. In the Middle Ages, the Vecht was a shipping connection between (the predecessor of) the Zuiderzee and the river Rhine. Because of this important connection, the river was part of the Dutch Waterline. The area really flourished in the Golden (seventeenth) Century. That was when the beautiful country estates were built, which are situated around the river. You will see three of these country estates during this beautiful bike ride, which starts in Weesp. Near the place where you can park your car for free, is the T Haantje mill. From 1626 onwards, a hollow post mill stood on this site that drained the Kostverlorenpolder. Around 1705, this polder was merged with a number of other polders under the name the Gemeenschapspolder. The large Gemeenschapsmolen (further along the route) that was built in 1708 made the hollow post mill redundant and it was converted into a corn mill. In 1820, an oil mill called De Haan was built on that spot. In 1828, this mill was also converted into a corn mill and in 1896,'t Haantje was sold to a cocoa manufacturer. The mill was restored in 1964, 2001 and 2002. You won't find the Fort aan de Ossenmarkt much further, which was built to protect the railway line between Hilversum and Amsterdam. That is why a bomb-proof tower with a surrounding moat and drawbridge was built on the Ossenmarkt in 1859-1861. From the Ossenmarkt, the fortress towers above everything else. Fort Uitermeer is located on the river Vecht and between forests and meadows. The fortress is part of the New Dutch Waterline. The tower fortress is an important eye-catcher in the area and also offers beautiful views over the Naardermeer and the many country estates in the area. When you arrive at Loenen aan de Vecht you have already seen a lot of the polder. After the activity on the water, quiet lakes and many birds, Loenen aan de Vecht is a nice change. Oud Oever is a country estate that lies along the eastern bank of the river Vecht. This country estate has the predicate 'National Monument'. This includes a main building, historical garden and park construction, a garden dome, a gardener's house/horse stable/coach house and several entrance gates. Loenen aan de Vecht is also the location of Huis Bijdorp. This house is inhabited and cannot be visited, but it does offer an impressive view. It was built in the seventeenth century, is three windows wide and consists of two residential floors. The terrain around the house is a rectangular piece of land, overgrown with trees. Elongated cultivation beds have also been created on it. House Vegtlust, which was built in the eighteenth century and is located near Bijdorp, has also been given a new purpose. Six apartments are located in this building. Because this is also private property, Vegtlust cannot be visited. Finally, before you return to Weesp, you come to Kasteel Nederhorst. The history of the fortress goes back at least to the thirteenth century, but it is possible that there was a fortification even before that time. The castle was strategically positioned and was set on fire during skirmishes in 1672 during the French War. After that, a square castle was built, which had a hexagonal tower on each corner. In the early eighteenth century, the castle was renovated and given its current appearance.