The Nieuwkoopse Plassen are a wetland of large and small lakes, reed beds, meadows and ditches. Water, reeds and meadows give the nature theme several facets. This offers different ways to discover Nieuwkoop: on the water, on foot between the village and nature, or with a museum and art as a cultural accent.
Waterways and boat trips
The Otter Canoe Route Nieuwkoopse Plassen can be explored by canoe, electric boat or SUP board. It starts at Jachthaven Plaszicht. Rederij Nieuwkoop organises trips around the Nieuwkoopse Plassen aboard the traditional salon boats Barbarella and Annabel. The options differ in format: the Otter Canoe Route offers a choice of ways to get around, while Rederij trips take place aboard the named salon boats.
The Natuurmonumenten excursion boat is also adapted for wheelchair users and can accommodate six wheelchairs. For your planning, check the current accessibility information on Natuurmonumenten’s area page. Rederij Nieuwkoop also offers bespoke packages that can combine a boat trip with a museum visit, a walking area or a restaurant. This makes it possible to combine a trip with different focuses: culture, another nature theme or a restaurant visit.
On foot through village and nature
The Nieuwkoop walk passes through the historic village centre and partly through the Nieuwkoopse Plassen nature reserve. It follows the Meijepad through Meijepark and also crosses the water on floating paths. This connects the village and nature on a walking route; the floating paths also make water part of the route itself. If you prefer to explore the area on foot rather than on a boat trip, this offers a different perspective on the landscape.
Museum, history and art
Museum Nieuwkoop features permanent exhibitions on blacksmithing, the polder, the carpenter’s workshop, archaeology and the Old Dutch Water Line. The subjects range from crafts and the polder to archaeology and the Water Line. The museum therefore offers a cultural focus alongside the water and nature experiences. A polder is an area of land separated from the surrounding water by dikes and drained. Alongside the workshop themes, the museum thus also explores the landscape, broadening its subject matter beyond craftsmanship.
’t Reghthuys also welcomes visitors from outside Nieuwkoop. Hoeve Rijlaarsdam houses a gallery and sculpture garden in a former farmhouse. Together with the museum’s permanent exhibitions, this provides another option for your stay: you can explore crafts, the polder and history, or focus on the gallery and sculpture garden.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Woerdense Verlaat, Ter Aar, Zevenhoven, Noorden, Nieuwveen.
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