Straight ditches, curving dikes and monumental farmhouses define the landscape of Midden-Delfland. The region is one of the oldest polder areas in the Netherlands. Its open peat pasture landscape was designated a Bijzonder Provinciaal Landschap (Special Provincial Landscape) in 2017. Here, a vast landscape meets the striking lines of waterways and dikes.

The nature areas are dominated by expansive polders with cows, meadow birds and flowers. This blend of pastures, water and farming landscape provides a common thread for exploring the region. You can discover Midden-Delfland on foot, by bike or on the water, each offering a different perspective.

Polder Landscape and Cultural Heritage

Op Hodenpijl is a cultural church, restaurant and centre for health and wellbeing. Check the current visitor facilities before your trip. The church also offers a programme of concerts, talks and meditation sessions; content and dates may change. In the quiet area behind Op Hodenpijl, there is a barefoot path and a labyrinth, where walking meditation is possible. Seasonal restrictions apply to access to this area.

Museum Het Tramstation is housed in a former station of the Westlandsche Stoomtramweg Maatschappij (WSM). The building preserves a fully intact interior with an Art Nouveau waiting room and is a recently designated Rijksmonument (listed national heritage site). In the museum’s Keenenburg Room, visitors can learn about the history of the castle and its residents; archaeological finds from excavations are also on display. The museum brings together architectural history and archaeological discoveries.

Museum De Schilpen displays rooms furnished as they would have been between 1900 and 1950. These include equipment for making butter and cheese on the farm, as well as agricultural tools typical of the region. The museum shop, with its original early 20th-century furnishings, also tells the story of everyday life. Guided tours and village walks are available by arrangement; arrangements may change.

Walking Through Polders and a Landscape of Churches

The KERKenPADEN booklet covers ten churches, some of them former churches, as well as 21 existing and vanished church paths in Schipluiden, Maasland, Den Hoorn and ’t Woudt. It offers four walking routes ranging from 6.5 to 9 kilometres and a cycling route of about 32 kilometres. This gives you a choice of routes of different lengths and ways to travel. Route details may be updated in future editions.

Midden-Delfland has five permanent farm walks, each with a section that crosses farmland. One farm walk runs around the Rodenburg family farm through the expansive polders; its route details may vary seasonally. On another farm walk, visitors are guests of farmer Sonneveld, who works to protect meadow birds. At Aalkeetbuiten, wardens explain along a trail how a duck decoy works and why absolute quiet is necessary there. Dates for these excursions may change.

Beyond these options, an increasing number of unpaved paths run alongside waterways and through pastures; conditions may change locally. The Hof van Delfland walking route network uses 440 route posts and 110 information boards. This infrastructure may be updated over time.

Cycling and Water Routes

The cycling options include Toeristische Overstap Punten (TOPs), routes provided by partners, options for e-bike riders and a ferry route. Routes and ferry services may change; check the latest information when planning your trip. A cycling route by Natuurmonumenten presents the landscape of Midden-Delfland from the perspective of the artists of the Hague School. Check access to this route in advance. The Delflandse Trekvaarten route map features walking, cycling and boating routes that let you discover the history of the Delflandse Trekvaarten and trekschuit passenger boats.

Midden-Delfland’s boating network is suitable for canoes, sloops and small cabin boats. Water conditions and operating rules may change. Guided cruises through the polders offer a chance to discover the region’s heritage; schedules and operators may change, so check the dates in advance. Farm shops sell cheese, dairy products, meat, eggs, vegetables and fruit. The selection at individual shops may vary.

Discover more destinations: Maasland, Schipluiden, Den Hoorn, Zoeterwoude, Voorschoten, Rotterdam, Rijnwoude, Noordwijk.

See the regional travel overview: South Holland.