Haven Wijdenes is a stopping place for a day out by boat; during walks and bike rides, you can sit by the water. A small bathing beach is located right next to the harbour entrance. The harbour and beach give your stay a clear connection to the water; the historic buildings provide a different focus. When planning which impressions will shape your stay, you can choose between activities by the water and the different architectural styles in Wijdenes.
Harbour, Beach and Walking Routes
Haven Wijdenes is one of the recreational areas in Drechterland. Visitors can stay for up to three nights in the small harbour of Wijdenes for a fee.
The Wijdenesroute leads to the small harbour on the Markermeer, while the Driebanroute runs through Wijdenes’s historic ribbon development and along the Westfriese Omringdijk. The Driebanroute crosses grassy dikes through the De Drieban polder; the landscape offers peace and open space. In terms of choosing between them, one route has the harbour as its destination, while the other passes through the ribbon development, over the dike and through the open polder landscape. The routes of the Wijdenesroute and Driebanroute may change; check the current route before setting out. A walking route from Enkhuizen towards Wijdenes offers views over the IJsselmeer and the Markermeer.
Architectural History from Church to Beacon
The Hervormde Kerk at Kerkbuurt 72 was extended in 1863 with a southern transept arm. A transept arm is a lateral part of a church building; here, it extends the church to the south. The north wall is made of old stone; masonry on the east side adjoins it and may belong to a choir dating from the 15th century. The tower consists of three sections and has a spire dating from 1893. If the eastern masonry does indeed belong to a choir dating from the 15th century, this phase of construction would predate the 1863 extension; the spire is dated later, to 1893.
Kerkbuurt 78 is an 18th-century house with wooden walls and a tall chimney. Kerkbuurt 80 is a village house dating from the 18th to 19th century, with wooden side walls and a later front façade. At No. 78, the wall material and chimney stand out; at No. 80, the side walls and later façade do.
De Stofmolen is a grain mill in Wijdenes. The present mill was built in 1911 using parts of Het Vette Schaap from Zaandijk. The Vuurtje van Leek is a small beacon on the Markermeer by the Zuiderdijk, built for shipping; the current beacon has stood there since 2001. The two structures represent different uses: grain milling and shipping.
Discover more destinations: Hoogkarspel, Venhuizen, Oosterleek, Hem, Westwoud, Schellinkhout
Back to the main travel overview: Drechterland.
