Take a nice drive up Wieringen

From the village of Van Ewijcksluis you can drive straight to Wieringen, a former island where you will find old villages, panoramic views and a unique cultural history.

On Wieringen
Wieringen was an island in the Zuiderzee for centuries. In 1924 the island was 'linked' to North Holland by diking and reclamation. From the moraines in this area you have beautiful views over the low-lying polders, the Amstelmeer, the IJsselmeer and of course the Wadden Sea. You pass through picturesque villages such as Westerzand, Hippolytushoef and Den Oever. You pass two thatched corn mills: the Onderneming dates from 1851, the Hoop from 1675.

Robbenoordbos
You cycle a bit through the Robbenoordbos and the adjacent Dijkgatbos. A unique piece of nature that was planted in the 1930s with oak, alder and beech. Originally the forests were separate, but in recent years they have grown together. The route takes you along the Amstelmeer, which once formed a transition between the Wadden Sea and the Zuiderzee. You will see many bulb fields around Anna Paulowna.

Turbulent Wieringen
Wieringen has a rich and eventful history. In the ninth century, the island briefly served as a base for Danish Vikings. Centuries later, VOC ships returning from the East on the west side of Wieringen - almost within sight of the ports of Enkhuizen, Hoorn and Amsterdam - put sick sailors ashore. This quarantine was intended to prevent diseases from spreading on shore. After the First World War, Wieringen served as a place of exile for the refugee German Crown Prince Wilhelm from 1918 to 1923. The story goes that blacksmith Jan Luyt from Hippolytushoef taught the crown prince how to forge horseshoes.