Polder madness between the Beemster and the Zuiderzee
Middenbeemster, Beets, Scharwoude
A beautiful part of North Holland with varied landscapes. Part of the route runs along the straight canals and the characteristic polder landscape of the Beemster. The other part of the route takes you along the more winding Schermerringvaart. This ring canal flows into the former Zuiderzee near Schardam via a branch to the Beemsteringvaart. You will cycle through an area that used to be marshland and water. In the days of the “kussenmoeras”, a wet, spongy landscape, ditches were dug for drainage. Dykes were built to protect the new land, but there was still little traffic over land. Transport was by canal, ditch and small boat. Slowly, peat soil developed, but due to drainage, the land subsided. And it still does: in some places, the ground here sinks by 1 to 5 millimetres every year. The lowest point in North Holland is located in the Zeevang, near Etersheim: more than 6 metres below sea level. This landscape of canals, pumping stations and windmills is also home to the vanished village of Etersheim. Once a lively settlement, it was eventually submerged by the advancing waters of the Zuiderzee in the 17th century. During the reinforcement of the Markermeer dyke, traces of the village resurfaced. From household goods to foundations, and even a medieval sarcophagus. Cycling between the Beemster and the Markermeer, you see an area that is completely geared towards survival with water: dykes, pumping stations, straight ditches and windmills show how this has been working for so long.
| Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
|
Start: Oosteinde 93, 1647 AE Koggenland | 49.6 KM | |
|
From
19
to
58
|
2729 M | 2.7 KM | |
| Head south on Hulkerweg | 1.2 KM | ||
| Make a slight right onto Lijsbeth Tijsweg | 14 M | ||
| Make a sharp left onto Hulkerweg | 418 M | ||
| Turn left | 154 M | ||
| Turn right onto De Hulk | 948 M | ||
| You are now at section 58 | 0 M | ||
|
From
58
to
36
|
1415 M | 1.4 KM | |
| Head west on De Hulk | 1.4 KM | ||
| You are now at section 36 | 0 M | ||
|
From
36
to
37
|
2547 M | 2.5 KM | |
| Head south on IJsselmeerdijk | 2.5 KM | ||
| You are now at section 37 | 0 M | ||
|
From
37
to
83
|
1086 M | 1.1 KM | |
| Head east on Schardam | 1.1 KM | ||
| You are now at section 83 | 0 M | ||
|
From
83
to
64
|
4902 M | 4.9 KM | |
| Head south on Schardam | 503 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto IJsselmeerdijk | 121 M | ||
| Keep right onto IJsselmeerdijk | 4.3 KM | ||
| You are now at section 64 | 0 M | ||
|
From
64
to
63
|
1165 M | 1.2 KM | |
| Head west on Warder | 1.2 KM | ||
| You are now at section 63 | 0 M | ||
|
From
63
to
10
|
2426 M | 2.4 KM | |
| Head northwest on Warder | 2.2 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Oosteinde | 188 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 47 M | ||
| You are now at section 10 | 0 M | ||
|
From
10
to
11
|
1992 M | 2 KM | |
| Head southeast on Sluisweg | 18 M | ||
| Turn right onto Raadhuisstraat | 577 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Westeinde | 84 M | ||
| Turn left onto Seevancksweg | 1.3 KM | ||
| You are now at section 11 | 0 M | ||
|
From
11
to
9
|
2822 M | 2.8 KM | |
| Head southwest on Middenweg | 353 M | ||
| Turn right onto Molenkolkweg | 578 M | ||
| Turn left onto Westeinde | 1.8 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Hobrederlaan | 66 M | ||
| You are now at section 09 | 0 M | ||
|
From
9
to
4
|
2050 M | 2.1 KM | |
| Head southeast on Oostdijk | 2.1 KM | ||
| You are now at section 04 | 0 M | ||
|
From
4
to
5
|
2035 M | 2 KM | |
| Head northwest on Kwadijkerweg | 342 M | ||
| Turn right | 370 M | ||
| Continue onto Purmerenderweg | 385 M | ||
| Continue straight | 938 M | ||
| You are now at section 05 | 0 M | ||
|
From
5
to
6
|
1879 M | 1.9 KM | |
| Head northwest on Rijperweg | 1.5 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Hendrick de Keyserweg | 9 M | ||
| Turn left onto Rijperweg | 369 M | ||
| You are now at section 06 | 0 M | ||
|
From
6
to
7
|
1883 M | 1.9 KM | |
| Head north on Middenweg | 304 M | ||
| Keep right onto Middenweg | 36 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Middenweg | 1.5 KM | ||
| You are now at section 07 | 0 M | ||
|
From
7
to
8
|
1878 M | 1.9 KM | |
| Head east on Hobrederweg | 1.9 KM | ||
| You are now at section 08 | 0 M | ||
|
From
8
to
32
|
2655 M | 2.7 KM | |
| Head north on Nekkerweg | 2.7 KM | ||
| You are now at section 32 | 0 M | ||
|
From
32
to
31
|
3219 M | 3.2 KM | |
| Head northwest on Noorddijk | 1.7 KM | ||
| Turn right to stay on Noorddijk | 1.5 KM | ||
| Turn right to stay on Noorddijk | 61 M | ||
| You are now at section 31 | 0 M | ||
|
From
31
to
30
|
1241 M | 1.2 KM | |
| Head northeast on Zomerdijk | 41 M | ||
| Turn left onto Slimdijk | 1.2 KM | ||
| You are now at section 30 | 0 M | ||
|
From
30
to
35
|
437 M | 0.4 KM | |
| Head west | 253 M | ||
| Turn left onto Kathoek | 51 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Het Hoog | 133 M | ||
| You are now at section 35 | 0 M | ||
|
From
35
to
24
|
2205 M | 2.2 KM | |
| Head northwest on West | 1.7 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Zuid-Spierdijkerweg | 457 M | ||
| You are now at section 24 | 0 M | ||
|
From
24
to
23
|
2416 M | 2.4 KM | |
| Head northwest on Zuid-Spierdijkerweg | 1.8 KM | ||
| Turn right | 177 M | ||
| Turn right | 11 M | ||
| Turn left onto Braken | 14 M | ||
| Turn right onto Spierdijkerweg | 415 M | ||
| You are now at section 23 | 0 M | ||
|
From
23
to
22
|
1506 M | 1.5 KM | |
| Head northeast on Spierdijkerweg | 37 M | ||
| Turn right onto Bobeldijk | 1.5 KM | ||
| You are now at section 22 | 0 M | ||
|
From
22
to
19
|
5153 M | 5.2 KM | |
| Head south on Sevendeelweg | 1.5 KM | ||
| Turn right to stay on Sevendeelweg | 21 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Westeinde | 15 M | ||
| Turn left onto Westeinde | 3.6 KM | ||
| You are now at section 19 | 0 M |