Noorden combines a lowland peat landscape with water activities, walking routes and a layered village history. When looking for a holiday rental, these different highlights can help you decide whether the area is right for your stay: are you mainly interested in routes through the landscape, activities on the water or historic buildings?

Water landscape and activities on the water

A red route leads from Noorden to the Nieuwkoopse Plassen. This is an extensive lowland peat area that is important for purple herons, marsh orchids and northern water voles.

At Nikano in Noorden, you can hire canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and electric boats. The red canoe route to the Nieuwkoopse Plassen also starts at Nikano. If you are planning a trip on the water, you will find both a listed rental service and a named route starting point. Check the current offering in advance.

In summer, Het Zonneveer operates a ferry for cyclists and pedestrians between Noorden village centre and the Hollandsekade near De Meije. As the service is seasonal, check the timetable for your visit. This connection is a separate planning consideration alongside the canoe and other boat rental options.

Walking routes and seasonal access

The walking route through Ruygeborg is accessible outside the breeding season. This seasonal condition may change, so check current access before your visit. Another walking route, Groene Jonker – Kromme Mijdrecht – Noorden, passes through Noorden, Groene Jonker, Kromme Mijdrecht and Noordse Dorp. These details offer different points of reference: the places named are key to this route, while the breeding-season rule applies to the route through Ruygeborg. You should therefore assess the two routes not just by name, but by the planning consideration that matters to you.

Village history and historic buildings

In 1883, the village of Noorden gained the neo-Gothic Sint-Martinuskerk. Several listed buildings also offer specific insights into the area’s architectural history. Simon van Capelweg 28/30 is a Rijksmonument, possibly a fisherman’s cottage or farmhouse dating from the 17th century. Voorweg 5 is also a Rijksmonument: a farmhouse from the early 19th century. Voorweg 38 is designated a municipal monument; the building was used as a farmhouse or smithy from around 1800 to 1830.

The buildings differ both in their designations and in their recorded uses and dates. The building type and date of Simon van Capelweg remain explicitly tentative; for Voorweg 38, the information concerns a former use. Until 1911, the people of Noorden earned their living by cutting reeds, digging peat and doing similar work. This history of livelihoods adds an economic perspective to the village’s architecture. Together, these offer different themes for planning a trip, without requiring waterways, walks and architectural history to be combined into a single tour.

Discover more destinations: Nieuwkoop, Ter Aar, Woerdense Verlaat, Zevenhoven, Nieuwveen.

Back to the main travel overview: Nieuwkoop.