The “Parel aan de Gouwe” cycling route runs through Waddinxveen, starts and ends at Waddinxveen Centrum railway station, and is 27 kilometres long. It offers a specific focus on cycling for your stay, and can also be planned in two sections.

Cycling route and cultural stops

The route can be divided at Kerkweg into a 12-kilometre northern section or a 13-kilometre southern section. This lets you choose between the full route and one of the named sections. “Parel aan de Gouwe” is one of seven cultural routes in Midden-Holland and is also part of the Staande Mastroute. Hefbrug Waddinxveen is one of its route points.

Waddinxveen has cultural attractions beyond this route, too: highlights include murals, poems, storytelling benches, art routes and “De Vergeten Plek”. The municipality presents the Waddinxveense Hefbrug as a special monument and devotes a separate account to its history. This makes it possible to combine the cycling route with a look at other art and history themes in the town, without treating them as part of the route itself.

Nature trails and birdwatching

Bentwoud is a nature and recreation area of more than 800 hectares in the municipalities of Alphen aan den Rijn and Waddinxveen. It has 80 kilometres of walking and cycling paths. There is also a mountain bike trail and the marked, 3-kilometre Woudloperspad. If you are looking for a single named cycling tour, consider “Parel aan de Gouwe”; Bentwoud, by contrast, centres on a network of paths and a separate marked walking route.

At the 't Weegje recreation area, you can go for a walk, take a boat ride, play and fish. A birdwatching screen overlooks a wet meadow where black-tailed godwits, redshanks and snipes are regularly seen in spring. The area at Het Weegje 4 is open from sunrise to sunset. There is a bicycle rack on site and a small car park with one space for people with physical disabilities. The toilet building is available seasonally from 1 May to 1 October.

Gouwebos at Lindelaantje is also open from sunrise to sunset. This gives you a choice of both an area with several activities explicitly listed and a forest with clearly specified opening hours.

Remembrance and other activities

De Naald is an obelisk 9 metres high and 80 centimetres wide, set on a circular plateau. The monument was erected in 1947 in memory of all civilians and members of the armed forces who lost their lives through acts of war and terror since the outbreak of the Second World War. Every year on 4 May, residents gather there for a commemorative ceremony. The Oudheidkamer in Waddinxveen is open every Saturday from 10:00 to 16:00. Open Monumentendag takes place every year on the second weekend of September; in Waddinxveen, it is organised by volunteers from WadCultureel and volunteers at the participating sites.

There are various places to visit for other activities: Kinderboerderij Dierendal is a petting zoo in Waddinxveen that regularly organises educational afternoons and hands-on activities. Open swimming at Gouwebad De Sniep is open to all age groups. The Vredenburghzone has a fenced-off dog exercise area with water and play equipment for dogs; it can be reached from Moerkapellepad.

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