Kingdom of the 1000 Islands - south

This route in Broek op Langedijk takes you around the southern part of the Kingdom of the Thousand Islands, with the Oosterdel in the middle.

The route (marked red) follows the Eerstelingenpad. Along the way there are signs with a QR code that provide information about the fascinating horticultural history of the region: the vegetables that were grown there, the Broeker auction and water transport.

You walk along ditches, canals, villas and the grass quay along the Alkmaar (Omval)-Kolhorn Canal.

Highlights along the way include (part of) the old village center, Museum Broekerveiling, the museum boat ramp and the lock, the polder mill Geestmerambacht D and the Oosterdel nature reserve with the characteristic islands.

Kingdom of the Thousand Islands

This area once consisted of more than 15,000 islands, created by dredging peat for peat extraction.

When most ditches were filled in mid-last century, the islands also disappeared. Only in the southern part, around the Oosterdelplas, can remains of the old horticultural landscape still be found. The unique Oosterdel area is approximately 80 hectares. large and consists of more than 200 islands. It is the last remaining, authentic part of the Kingdom of the Thousand Islands.

Broek op Langedijk and the Broekerveiling

Broek op Langedijk is known for the BroekerVeiling, the first auction in the world. Vegetables were auctioned here between 1887 and 1973. Now it is a museum that is definitely worth a visit.

Lock and Museum Schuitenhelling

Directly east of the harbour, on the Sluiskade, you will see the lock, which was used by people from outside the polder to reach the auction. In the past, when there was no lock here, the boats had to be lifted over the dike one by one.

In addition to the lock, you can visit the Fathers Museum Schuitenhelling, composed of shipyards and barge ramps that were operational in the Geestmerambachtpolder until the 1960s.