The “Rijk der Duizend Eilanden” (Realm of a Thousand Islands) gives the area around Noord-Scharwoude a distinctive landscape landmark. The fertile island landscape took shape when residents dug drainage and navigation canals and used the excavated silt to raise agricultural plots. This history of the landscape stands alongside architectural heritage, remembrance and marked routes as a way of discovering the area—depending on whether you want to spend time outdoors or explore local history.

Architecture and Remembrance

The Sint Jan de Doperkerk was built in 1905–1906 to a design by Petrus Bekkers and is an example of Neo-Gothic brick architecture. Its construction dates and stylistic classification offer two specific clues for placing the building in context. The SintJansmuseum Kloosterhof is located next to the church, on the second floor of the Kloosterhof.

The Noord-Scharwoude war memorial is a bronze sculpture: a bull stands on a plinth, pierced by three arrows. The memorial commemorates military personnel and resistance fighters who died fighting the occupying forces during the Second World War. A remembrance ceremony is held there every year on 4 May. If you want to plan a trip specifically around this occasion, use 4 May as a fixed point of reference.

Industrial history can also be read in a surviving architectural detail. The Koôlpad includes a short detour to the Verburg façade. Monumental façade remains of the former Noord-Hollandsche Conservenfabriek Peter Verburg still stand at Voorburggracht 301. The sauerkraut factory “De Nederlanden” was founded between 1885 and 1919 and was located in Noord-Scharwoude.

Water Landscape and Routes

The local network of navigable waterways extends via connected canals and four bridges to the former auction site in Noord-Scharwoude. The word “former” refers to the site’s previous use; the canals and bridges show how water shapes the landscape and its connections. Visitors can also rent a boat near the Broeker Veiling Museum and travel through the last surviving part of the “Rijk der Duizend Eilanden.”

The Noord-Scharwoude starting point serves as the starting point for several marked circular walking routes in the Alkmaar region’s walking network. For a cycling trip, a route runs from bicycle junction 91 in Noord-Scharwoude to the Geestmerambacht nature and recreation area. The walking options are therefore described as several marked circular routes from one starting point; the cycling route connects a named junction with a specific destination.

The detour to the Verburg façade on the Koôlpad is short. This is useful to bear in mind when planning to combine the route with a look at the monumental façade remains. The specific destination is at Voorburggracht 301, where the façade remains of the former factory still stand.

Events and Leisure

Every year, the Oranjestichting organizes a flea market on the playing field on Charlotte de Bourbonstraat in Noord-Scharwoude. If you want to plan your trip around it, check the event date in advance. The bed races are another village spectacle: participants push a partner in a bed on wheels around a course. No frequency is specified for the bed races, so they can be described as a local tradition without presenting them as an annual event.

The Duikerdel leisure pool has a large slide, a bubble bench, water jets and a paddling pool for toddlers. At Kramers Zuurkool, you can buy a traditionally made cask of organic sauerkraut as a regional specialty. The two offerings represent different sides of a stay: water-based leisure and a specific regional product.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Oudkarspel, Broek Op Langedijk, Zuid-Scharwoude, Sint Pancras.

Back to the main travel overview: Langedijk.