In Uitgeest, you can choose from different ways to experience history and landscape: military museums and audio tours, routes alongside two lakes, and activities on the water. For planning, it is worth first choosing the focus of your stay. A visit to a fort, a guided walk and a canoe trip are very different ways to get to know Uitgeest.
Experience forts and history
Fort aan den Ham is a military museum. Visitors can learn more about the fort and the soldiers’ lives in the past. Access is seasonal, so check the latest visitor information before your visit.
At the Fort K’IJK visitor centre, audio tours share information about nature and the strategic landscape of the Defence Line of Amsterdam. This offers a different perspective from the military history focus of Fort aan den Ham: here, the landscape and nature are also central. Before your trip, check the latest operating information for the visitor centre and audio tours.
Extensive pastures around Fort K’IJK provide nesting and living habitats for various animal species. The landscape is therefore not merely a backdrop for exploring history, but also a defining part of the visit. You can appreciate the pastures as a natural environment without losing sight of the fort and its strategic surroundings.
At the Uitgeestermeer, an information point about the Oer-IJ and the landscape that shaped Uitgeest is located in a restored wooden drying shed. It also covers Cornelis Corneliszoon, his sawmill and the invention associated with it. Visitors interested in landscape history and the history of technology will find both topics in one place. Check access to the information point before your trip.
On foot, by bike or by canoe
The Pontjesroute is one of the cycling and walking routes along the shores of the Alkmaardermeer and Uitgeestermeer. It offers two ways to explore the lakeside landscape: by bike or on foot. A guided Oer-IJ walk offers a different focus. You will learn how water and time have shaped the landscape. Check whether the guided walk is available before your trip.
For a trip on the water, the Woudpolderroute starts in Uitgeest. This green-marked canoe route winds through the polder landscape, past reed beds and pastures with cows and sheep. The polders also provide a habitat for nesting birds. At the starting point, Kanoverhuur De Aker, you can rent a canoe or launch your own. Check the latest route details before planning your trip.
Weigh up water activities during your stay
Visitors can also rent a sloop, sailboat, SUP board or canoe on the Uitgeestermeer. This makes a good activity in its own right, alongside canoeing through the polder landscape: the options differ by type of watercraft, not by a set route. As individual providers and availability can change, check the current options in advance.
Zeilschool Uitgeest offers sailing courses for children and adults, surfing lessons, and boating lessons for sloops. So, in addition to renting a watercraft, lessons and courses are also possible activities. Check current dates and booking details before planning your days around them.
Plan your journey and accommodation
Direct train services run from Uitgeest station to, among other destinations, Amsterdam, Haarlem and Alkmaar. If you would also like to visit places outside Uitgeest during your stay, these cities are examples of possible train connections. Timetables may change, so check the current connections for your travel dates.
You can then match your accommodation search to the activities you actually want to do. Factor in seasonal access, guided tours and current dates rather than assuming you will have a full programme every day. This leaves room to choose between culture, landscape and water activities according to your interests.
For the main travel overview: Uitgeest.
