Pijnacker-Nootdorp offers a variety of reasons to stay: open polders and bird areas, waterscapes, and historic traces in Pijnacker and Nootdorp. For your planning, it is worth deciding on your main focus first: would you like to hike, spend time by the water, enjoy outdoor activities or explore local history? Access also varies depending on your destination. The Ackerdijkse Plassen nature reserve is not freely accessible; it can be explored as part of ranger activities.
Landscapes and bird areas
In Bieslandse Bos, woodland, marsh, rough grassland and open polder landscapes alternate. There are also walking trails and a play forest for children. The Krekengebied is known for its distinctive marsh nature: bluethroats live here, and bitterns can occasionally be seen too. The marsh itself is not accessible and is surrounded by walking trails. Bicycles and horses are not permitted on the walking trails in Bieslandse Bos; dogs must always be kept on a leash in the Krekengebied. Check the current signs before your visit.
Around Dobbeplas, you can go for a walk, skate or relax by the shore. A sandy beach and a play and picnic lawn provide space for games or a picnic. Water rails, bitterns, kingfishers and snipes make their home on the nature island. Ackerdijkse Plassen is an important bird area in the Netherlands, providing a habitat for special bird species despite the pressures of the Randstad. One of its three observation points is the De Tureluur tower; from here, you can look out across the bird reserve to the Rotterdam skyline. Check the booking and availability conditions for ranger activities before setting out.
Outdoor activities
Groenzoom is a 560-hectare nature and recreation area. Water, reed beds and grassland define the landscape; possible activities include cycling, walking, canoeing and horse riding. At Speelbos De Balij, children can play hide-and-seek, jump over ditches, climb, explore and build huts, all with a knights’ theme. In Buytenhout, you can walk or cycle through the open polder landscape while cattle graze nearby. Buytenhout also has a play forest and a gnome trail for younger nature lovers. Koetastisch operates an organic dairy farm in the municipality of Pijnacker-Nootdorp, with educational activities on the farm.
Windmills and local history
The Windlust grain mill in Nootdorp was built in 1885. It has an octagonal mill body and the cap of a mill in Delft dated 1781. The access information published in August 2026 states that visits are by appointment, usually on Saturdays or when the miller is present. Confirm access before your visit, as the information may change.
There are 15 historic information panels about the municipality’s history in Pijnacker-Nootdorp. Five Stolpersteine commemorate Jewish residents who were murdered during the Second World War. The Dorpskerk stands on the site of Pijnacker’s former parish church, next to a distinctive tower. The leaning historic tower was originally a defensive tower; it housed the Barbara bell, dating from 1434. A historic walking route starts and ends at the Dorpskerk and passes historic buildings, facade stones and Stolpersteine. For a route of your own choosing, there is also an interactive map of Pijnacker’s historic heritage; the Historisch Genootschap Oud-Pijnacker provides printable historic walking routes as PDFs.
Getting there and accommodation
For travel by metro, the municipality’s 2023 mobility report lists the Nootdorp, Pijnacker-Centrum and Pijnacker-Zuid stops on the E line. Check current services before travelling. When choosing a holiday apartment, you can compare your priorities—birdwatching, routes through green spaces or local history—with the specific accommodation location and current transport options.
Discover more destinations: Nootdorp, Strijen, Rotterdam, Midden-Delfland, Dordrecht, Oegstgeest, Bodegraven-Reeuwijk, Goedereede.
Back to the regional travel overview: South Holland.
