A 34-metre-high climbing hill in Hoge Bergse Bos and the Molen de Valk, dating from 1772, reveal two distinctive sides of Lansingerland: active outdoor recreation and the history of water management. Parks, polder landscapes and routes offer more ways to explore. You can focus on walking and cycling, discover nature and recreation areas, or trace how water was drained from the polders by visiting historic structures.

Parks, water and open landscapes

Annie M.G. Schmidtpark is 3.5 kilometres long and covers around 60 hectares. It lies on the border between Berkel en Rodenrijs and Bergschenhoek. You can walk, cycle, play sports and relax there. The park is also home to the nature-friendly Tuin van Floddertje and a skate park. It offers a range of ways to spend time outdoors, so you don’t have to stick to just one activity.

Hoge Bergse Bos has an outdoor artificial ski slope, a mountain biking course and the 34-metre-high climbing hill. Lage Bergse Bos has a different kind of landscape design: it was laid out in the romantic English landscape style and includes ponds, winding paths and islands. At Rottemeren, rugged hills and park-like woodlands meet expanses of water and open space; the area’s growing diversity of birdlife is another of its features. The nature and recreation areas of Rottemeren are accessible year-round, although local restrictions may apply in some areas. Activities available there include sailing, canoeing, mountain biking, climbing, skiing, fishing, pedal boating and walking.

In Zuidpolder, you’ll find informal walking trails, a dog-walking route, the Polderpad and benches. The Melkschuur Zuidpolder, run by Natuurmonumenten, serves as an information point; flowering plants and birdsong are also part of the area’s appeal. The 450-hectare Groenzoom lies between Lansingerland and Pijnacker-Nootdorp. As a green buffer zone between built-up areas, it connects Midden-Delfland with the Groene Hart. There are routes for walking, cycling, canoeing and horse riding.

Polder paths and cycling links

The Polderpad is a cycling and walking route between the rivers Schie and Rotte. It passes through the centre of four green reclaimed areas, with birds, livestock, farms, dikes and pumping stations. North of the A16 tunnel, it forms a continuous cycling link in Lansingerland’s green, ecological and recreational network. As construction-related diversions may change on site, check the current route before setting out.

If you’re looking for a circular route with a stated distance, there is a three-to-five-kilometre loop at Groene Halte Rodenrijs. It starts at or near the stop. Signposting, a water tap and benches are also available at this stop. The signposting is not limited to the loop: it also leads to routes and places to visit in the surrounding natural polders.

A longer connection is also part of the cycling plans: Lansingerland is one of four municipalities working to improve the 20-kilometre Metropolitan Cycle Route Delft–Rotterdam-Alexander. The route links Delft and Rotterdam-Alexander railway stations. Near Rodenrijs station, it connects to the Zoetermeer–Rotterdam cycle route; the project describes an improvement to the connection, not a fully completed route.

Mills and the history of the land

Molen de Valk is a national monument dating from 1772. Together with three mills in each of Westpolder and Noordpolder, it pumped water from the reclaimed Noord-, West- and Zuidpolders of Berkel via the Zweth into the Schie. Molen de Valk is the only mill in Lansingerland whose body and sails remain intact. It offers a tangible way to understand the connection between the mills and the drainage of the polders.

In Bleiswijk, the Tuinderschoorsteen points to the history of greenhouse cultivation. The 18-metre-high structure was built in 1952 from specially fired red radial bricks. Another trace of the past is Bleiswijkse Verlaat, a lock dating from around 1774. It was largely rebuilt in 1972 and fully restored in 2015.

Discover farming

Farm Safari is a walking activity in the countryside; its route starts at Boerderij Het Lansingerland. You’ll receive a backpack with a drink and an apple, as well as a guidebook with questions, activities and useful information. A dairy farm is open to the public and offers the chance to see a milking robot at work up close. This is another way to add an insight into farming to your visit.

Discover more destinations: Bodegraven, Hellevoetsluis, Liesveld, Capelle Aan Den Ijssel, Sliedrecht, Korendijk, Pijnacker-Nootdorp.

For the regional travel overview: South Holland.