Tour of Wierickerschans and Oude Rijn

In the polder you walk on car-free roads past grasslands and pollard willows. Fort Wierickerschans from 1675 is a nice sight. The fort is part of the Old Dutch Waterline. In the Disaster Year 1672, Stadtholder William III had his headquarters here. Much of the countryside was flooded to ward off the French enemy, but when it started to freeze they were able to reach Zwammerdam and Bodegraven where they set everything on fire. You also pass the Weijpoortse Molen, a polder mill from 1674. That year is not coincidental: there had been a windmill since 1564, but it was destroyed by retreating French.