Right next to Oostzaan lies Oostzanerveld; trails through Het Twiske and historic buildings in the town offer other points of interest. If you’re looking for a hotel in Oostzaan, considering whether you want to focus on landscapes, outdoor activities or local history can help with your travel plans.

Oostzanerveld and activities in Het Twiske

Oostzanerveld is a peat meadow area with narrow ditches, reed beds and hundreds of small islands. As part of the Natura 2000 site “Ilperveld, Varkensland, Oostzanerveld en ’t Twiske,” it has protected status. The combination of waterways, reeds and small islands shapes the landscape right next to Oostzaan.

In Het Twiske, you can explore a range of outdoor activities: options include cycling, hiking, boating, horse riding and skating. Swimming, diving, surfing and sailing are also among the water activities on offer. The landscape is varied; along the trails, you may spot Scottish Highland cattle as well as meadow, water and reed birds. Facilities in Het Twiske also include a ferry, rope and raft bridges, a climbing tower, a zip line, a tube fort and a pirate ship.

Trails by mode of transport

For a trip on the water, the Twiske Vaarroute runs for about 16 kilometers through Oostzanerveld and Het Twiske. A canoe route also passes through both areas, allowing you to explore Oostzanerveld by canoe. These are two different ways to experience the landscape on the water; the canoe route does not have a specific name.

The routes described on land also differ by mode of transport. Het Smaal is an approximately 3.5-kilometer mountain biking route through the wooded part of Het Twiske. The 10-kilometer “Recreatief en historisch Oostzaan” walking route connects the recreation area Het Twiske with historic sites in Oostzaan. When choosing between the two routes, both the mode of transport and the respective distance are clearly stated; the walking route also incorporates local history.

Churches, the Weeshuis and monuments

Oostzaan’s Grote Kerk, the Hervormde Kerk, can be described by two distinctive architectural details: it has a wooden tower above a façade with Rococo scroll-shaped gable ornaments. The Nederlands Gereformeerde Kerk in Oostzaan has a two-manual cabinet organ with an attached pedal and 13 stops. H.H. Hess built the instrument in 1785; in 1981, the Flentrop BV company from Zaandam restored the organ.

The history of the Weeshuis also began differently from what its name might suggest: the building was constructed in 1695 as a country house for a very wealthy woman, not as an orphanage. It was not used as an orphanage until 1774. Before that, orphans were housed in a building on Kerkstraat, then called Weerpad. The north wing was built in 1713; its original purpose is unknown. Above its door are figures of an orphan boy and an orphan girl, with the coat of arms of Oostzaan between them.

The monuments offer further local connections. The resistance monument on Kerkplein is a bronze chair on a concrete plinth. The Hannie Schaft monument was erected because her father, Pieter Schaft, came from Oostzaan. Another monument on the square in front of the Grote Kerk commemorates the artist Jacob Cornelisz. van Oostsanen, who was born in Oostzaan.

Local history also includes a chapter in food production: in 1895, Albert Heijn began roasting its own coffee in the washroom of its grocery store in Oostzaan. Along with landscapes and trails, Oostzaan offers points of historical interest for your trip, ranging from church architecture and social history to monuments and local business history.

For the broader travel overview: Oostzaan.