Kreileroord can be viewed from two perspectives during a stay: as a settlement with a history that can be dated precisely, and as part of a landscape whose past reaches far back beyond today’s settlement. There is also a walking event tied to a specific date and a cycling route with several starting options. These distinctions help keep local history and activity planning separate.

A Changing Settlement and Landscape

On 21 January 1957, the first 11 families moved into their homes on Bollenstraat. The name Kreileroord refers to a forest that stood there in the early Middle Ages. In prehistoric times, the Wieringermeer was a marshland with a large forest; traces of the Funnelbeaker culture have also been found in its landscape.

The name “De Kreil” remained on sea charts as the name of a sandbank in the Zuiderzee. The Creiler Woud was swallowed up during the All Saints’ Flood of 1170, when the inland lake Almere broke through and became the open Zuiderzee. The place name, archaeological traces and flood history thus point to different layers of the region’s past.

Kreileroord is in the Wieringermeer, at a junction of canals and roads. The Funnelbeaker traces relate to the Wieringermeer landscape, while “De Kreil” refers to a sandbank in the Zuiderzee. By placing these historical references in context, you can distinguish between the settlement, the wider landscape and the former seascape.

On Foot: the Avond4daagse Wieringermeer

The Avond4daagse Wieringermeer is a four-day walking event. For the 2026 edition, a start in Kreileroord was planned at the square by the MFC / Creilerwoud. Routes of 2.5 km, 5 km and 10 km were published for the Kreileroord stage, along with route files. The shortest and longest routes differ by 7.5 km, with the 5 km option in between. This makes it easy to compare the published distances directly. The starting point applies to the 2026 edition; later editions may start in a different village.

Cycling in the Region

Another option is the Fietsroute Het verhaal van Hollands Kroon Oost. The route lists Den Oever, Kreileroord and Wieringerwerf. You can start from home or from one of the easily accessible Toeristische Overstap Punten (TOPs) located near the route. This gives you two different starting options: setting off from home or starting at a TOP near the route. The cycling route offers a different planning framework from the four-day walking event.

Recreational Use in the Past

The area’s recreational history is also part of the picture. In the 1960s, there was a small shell beach for swimming in the harbour of De Oude Zeug. People could sunbathe in the meadows and on the dike slope. These swimming and sunbathing opportunities date back to the 1960s and provide a glimpse of how the area was used in the past.

Choose a Holiday Rental Based on Your Reason for Travelling

When looking for a holiday rental in Kreileroord, it helps to first decide what you want to focus on during your stay: local and landscape history, or planning a particular activity. For the walking event, the edition date is important; for the cycling route, you can choose between the listed starting options.

Discover more destinations: Winkel, Wieringerwaard, Barsingerhorn, Hippolytushoef, Westerland, Kolhorn.

Go to the main travel overview: Hollands Kroon.