Forts around the Vinkeveense Plassen

Explore the nature and water sports area of the Vinkeveense Plassen and immerse yourself in the pleasant hustle and bustle of this popular recreation area in the Randstad. Marinas and cozy restaurants bring life to the banks, while water skiers, divers and skippers seek refuge on the water. In the lakes, which are sometimes up to 53 meters deep, there are elongated islands that are used as laying fields, where the wet peat used to dry, because the lakes were created after intensive peat extraction in this area. At the Vinkveense Plassen you can park your car at the Pancake restaurant Het Voordek. The spacious terrace on the water invites you to order a nice cup of coffee and freshly baked apple pie, but you can also enjoy delicious, freshly baked pancakes after your bike ride. There are also plenty of other dishes on the menu, so this versatile restaurant is a great place to sit down when you get off your bike. The forts in the Randstad are also fun to visit. The tour first takes you to the Fort at Nigtevecht. This fort was built between 1888 and 1903 and is part of the Defence Line of Amsterdam, as part of the Abcoude-Nigtevecht line. This line consists of the fort at Abcoude, the batteries east of Abcoude, the fort at Nigtevecht and the rampart between the Geindijk and the fort at Nigtevecht. The fort on the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal housed a commander, three officers, 21 non-commissioned officers and 301 corporals and men. Around Fort Waver-Amstel many rabbits hop in the reeds and grass in and around the moat. This fort is part of the Defence Line of Amsterdam. The primary purpose was to defend inundation locks in the area, but also to protect the Groot Mijdrecht water board at the front of the fort. The Fort at Uithoorn defended something completely different. Instead of blocking waterways, this fort was built to protect the (former) railways that ran from Uithoorn to Alphen aan de Rijn and from Uithoorn to Nieuwersluis-Loenen. The fort is still largely in good, original condition, which gives you a nice view of a piece of military history in this region.