Tour of Den Helder and Anna Paulowna

Soon you will see the Groote Kaap lighthouse looming. The village of Oude Sluis is a fine example of the polder history of North Holland. It was originally located on the Wadden-like foothills of the Zuiderzee, as a mooring place for VOC ships that sailed out to sea via the Marsdiep. You also cycle through the Anna Paulownapolder, which was only drained in 1846, the last in this part of the Netherlands. The polder was named after the wife of King Willem II, the Russian Anna Paulowna. The sandy soil turned out to be extremely suitable for bulb cultivation: the municipality of Anna Paulowna is still the largest contiguous bulb area in the world. In't Zand you cross the Noordhollandsch Kanaal via one of the five remaining raft bridges.