Land of Leeghwater route

  • The Netherlands
  • North Holland
  • Alkmaar
  • 53.17 km (Approximately 03:07 u)
  • Cycling route 117895
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Land of Leeghwater route

  • The Netherlands
  • North Holland
  • Alkmaar
  • 53.17 km (Approximately 03:07 u)
  • Cycling route 117895
This cycle route leads you through the Land of Leeghwater. A beautiful area consisting of the Beemster, Graft-De Rijp and the Schermer. The bike tour partly goes around the former Schermer Island. This island was already embanked in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries and, with its countless ditches, historic villages and special nature, forms a beautiful contrast to the geometry of the polders of the Schermer and the Beemster.

Polder windmills galore
In Schermerhorn you can visit the Museum Mill during the bike ride. This is one of the eleven remaining mills of the former mill complex of the Schermerpolder, which was designed in the seventeenth century to keep the new land dry. You will also cycle past Poldermolen M, Poldermolen E, Strijkmolen L, Strijkmolen K, Strijkmolen I, Ondermolen O, Ondermolen K and Bovenmolen G. Along the way you can take a break with a snack and a drink at Theetuin Spierenburgh near Westbeemster.

Historic Forts
Other beautiful sights that you will encounter during this bike ride are the fortresses that belong to the Defense Line of Amsterdam: the Fort on the Jisperweg and the Fort near Spijkerboor.

The Fort near Spijkerboor
The last fort you see is the Fort at Spijkerboor. The fort was mobilized during the First World War, but it 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 imprisoned 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.

Would you like to know more about Low Holland? Then take a look at this page.

Directions

# Description Distance
Parkeerplaats (1487ME, Alkmaar, North Holland, The Netherlands) 0.00 km
Kerk West-Graftdijk (1486 ML, Alkmaar, North Holland, The Netherlands) 1.54 km
58
58 (1486MX, Alkmaar, North Holland, The Netherlands) 1.79 km
Droogmakerij de Schermer (Oostdijk, Alkmaar, North Holland, The Netherlands) 4.52 km
Kerk Driehuizen (Hervormde Kerk, 1844 KL, Alkmaar, North Holland, The Netherlands) 5.12 km
80
80 (1844KK, Alkmaar, North Holland, The Netherlands) 5.19 km

Sights

Droogmakerij de Schermer

Oostdijk
Alkmaar

This reclaimed land was drained between 1633 and 1635 in a former lake area. This is just one of the many lakes that were drained in North Holland in the 17th century.

Poldermolen M

Poldermolen M
1841GA Alkmaar
http://www.allemolens.nl

Poldermolen M was built in 1635 to drain the M section of the Schermer. Later this drainage was taken over by electric pumping stations and therefore the mill is no longer running.

Poldermolen E

Poldermolen E
1841JC Alkmaar
http://www.allemolens.nl

The most famous windmill type in the Netherlands. Windmills were used not only to produce flour from cereals, but also to reclaim polder areas. Natural energy. The most famous windmills can be found in Kinderdijk, really set up as a polder model. A must see!

Molen de Oterleek

1
1842 EL Alkmaar

The wooden ground sailor had a predecessor that was already on this spot in 1633. After that mill burned down in 1899, the current mill was built. Today, disabled people grind the grain here, bake bread and sell it in the bakery shop on the mill yard.

Strijkmolen L

Strijkmolen L
1645RD Alkmaar
http://www.allemolens.nl

Ironing mill L is one of fourteen ironing mills that were built in the 17th century to drain the surrounding area. This mill was built here in 1631.

Strijkmolen K

Strijkmolen K
1645RD Alkmaar
http://www.allemolens.nl

Ironing mill K is one of fourteen ironing mills that were built in the 17th century to drain the surrounding area. This mill was built here in 1631.

Strijkmolen I

Strijkmolen I
1645RD Alkmaar
http://www.allemolens.nl

Together with two older mills, this mill forms a mill corridor. This mill was built in 1864 and the other mills have been there since 1631.

Ondermolen O

Ondermolen O
1646WK Alkmaar
http://www.allemolens.nl

The Ondermolen O was built in 1633 to drain part of the Schermer. That task was taken over by an electric pumping station and the mill has been running on a voluntary basis ever since.

Ondermolen K

Ondermolen K
1636WE Alkmaar
http://www.allemolens.nl

Ondermolen K was built in the 17th century to drain part of the Schermer. That task was taken over by an electric pumping station and the mill has been running on a voluntary basis ever since.

Bovenmolen G

Bovenmolen G
1636WE Alkmaar
http://www.allemolens.nl

De Ondermolen O built around the year 1633 to drain part of the Schermer. That task was taken over by an electric pumping station and the mill has been running on a voluntary basis ever since.

Kerk Schermerhorn

2
1636 VB Alkmaar

This reformed church was built here in 1636. At that time, the church council kept a close eye on the behavior of the villagers from here and of course masses were held here.

Molen De Nachtegaal

4A
1462 LJ Beemster
http://www.nachtegaalbeemster.nl

The Beemster World Heritage Site is home to the Beemster's only mill on Hobrederweg: the Nightingale flour mill. This octagonal upper barrow from 1704 still works as a flour mill. On Saturday and Wednesday you can buy a bag of wind-ground flour here.

Stolpboerderij De Eenhoorn

194a
1462 HM Beemster

This historic farm was built in 1682 as a homestead for a wealthy Amsterdammer. The stately front house was occupied by the owners in the summer. The farm section behind it was inhabited by a tenant farmer and his family.

Fort aan de Jisperweg

150
1464 NL Beemster
http://www.stelling-amsterdam.nl/forten/jisperweg

The Fort on the Jisperweg was already completed in 1885 as a defensible earthwork. The bombproof building was not completed until 1914 and the fort was fully usable from then on. At that time the first soldiers were already present on the fort during the general mobilization of 1914. This fort, together with the Fort on the Middenweg, was the last to be added to the Defense Line of Amsterdam and the North Front. Life at this fort was no fun for the soldiers, especially because they had hardly anything to do. The fort is not open to the public, but you can of course admire the structure from the outside. Pay attention, because this fort is well hidden in nature. From a distance, it even looks more like a green hill in the landscape than a fortress. The fort is still completely intact and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Fort bij Spijkerboor

46
1464 PC Beemster
http://www.fortspijkerboor.nl

Fort bij Spijkerboor is the most northerly fort of the Defense Line of Amsterdam and it is located on the North Front. It is also the largest fortress and in its heyday it housed 350 soldiers. The fort has two floors. This in itself is very special, only Fort at Hoofddorp has this too. Also very special is that on the Fort near Spijkerboor the armored dome still has original cannons. You can climb into the dome via a retractable staircase. Once at the top you come face to face with one of the most powerful cannons in our country at that time. Fort Spijkerboor is an extra special place because two World Heritage sites come together here: De Beemster and the Defense Line of Amsterdam. This fort was built between 1889 and 1911 to defend the Northern Front. Three waterways converge at the site of the fort: the Noordhollandsch Kanaal and the ring canals of the Beemster and the Starnmeerpolder. Nowadays you can take guided tours of the fort.

Museum In 't Houten Huis

13
1483AP Alkmaar
http://www.houtenhuis.nl

The place where the Tuingracht 13 building now stands has a long history. For more than three centuries there has been a building that in one way or another fulfilled a social function. In 1700 a document of the Vro Gereedschap mentions a 'Aalmoeseniershuys', a home for children, needy widows and the elderly. It was customary at the time to employ young children. For example, the residents of the Tuingracht were able to use a boy from the chaplain's house to light and extinguish the street lamps on the advice of the Vro Gereedschap.

Raadhuis De Rijp

Restaurant Oudejans 1
Alkmaar
http://www.raadhuisderijp.nl

The former fishing village De Rijp still has the atmosphere of the 17th century. At that time the village was flourishing due to the herring fishing and whaling. The beautiful town hall was designed by Jan Adriaanszn. Leeghwater, the drainer of the Beemster and the Purmer, and dates from the year 1630. In the night of 6 to 7 January 1654, a gigantic fire broke out in De Rijp. The entire village burned down, but this town hall miraculously survived the sea of flames as one of the few buildings of that time. The beautiful details on the facade and the spaces inside the town hall exude the atmosphere of those days long gone and enormous wealth. On the ground floor of this town hall there is a weighing facility (De Waag), where cattle and products from agriculture and industry were weighed in the past. An original 17th century Jan van der Heyden fire engine is also on display here. You can only visit this house with a guide.

Museum Jan Boon "Het Walhuis"

Museum Jan Boon - 'Het Walhuis' 148
1483 BG Alkmaar

This museum in the Walhuis in De Rijp is dedicated to Jan Boon, the last shipowner of de Rijp. He was mainly engaged in fishing. You will find a small exhibition with archive documents of Jan Boon.

Provided by:

Bureau Toerisme Laag Holland