Zoetermeer reveals itself in protected townscapes and historic polders, as well as in large recreational areas. There are six such areas in and around the city, along with monuments, art and a wide variety of leisure activities. Exploring Zoetermeer brings visitors face to face with both its history and opportunities for outdoor and indoor activities.
Polder Landscapes and Historic Townscapes
The Meerpolder is a protected townscape and the oldest reclaimed polder in Rijnland. It is considered an outstanding heritage site. The Meerpolder is also associated with Zoetermeer’s historic reputation as a butter village. Dorpsstraat offers another glimpse of the historic townscape: its protected core preserves a street, water and green-space layout that together give the neighbourhood its character.
A 3.9-kilometre architectural walk through Dorpsstraat starts at the Stadhuis RandstadRail station. Along the way, it passes municipal and national monuments beside the Buurtvaart, two dobbe ponds and several bridges. Visitors interested in historic settlement patterns will find more protected townscapes in Voorweg, Zoetermeer’s best-preserved historic polder ribbon, and in the Koepeltjesbuurt neighbourhood in Meerzicht. There, white houses with orange domes define the streetscape.
Monuments, Art and Events
Molen De Hoop is a Rijksmonument, a nationally listed monument, more than a hundred years old. During free guided tours on Saturdays between 1 and 4 pm, visitors are taken up to the gallery, which offers a view over the area. Opening times may change, so check the schedule before your visit. The mill’s local significance is also reflected in the so-called “Old Five” poll, in which Zoetermeer residents voted it the city’s second most important monument.
Zoetermeer regularly hosts Open Monumentendag. Historic buildings and sites open to visitors on the Saturday of the second weekend in September; participating sites and exact dates vary from year to year. For a contemporary perspective on culture, Kunstgarage Franx is an exhibition space for modern art housed in a historic garage. It presents changing exhibitions featuring local talent and experimental art by young artists. Poppodium Boerderij complements the cultural scene as a live music venue that attracts visitors from the region, the Netherlands and abroad.
Indoor and Outdoor Leisure
The leisure options offer something for everyone. SnowWorld Zoetermeer has four slopes, ten ski lifts and real snow. It features Europe’s steepest indoor slope; following the expansion in 2016, the steep slopes are 300 metres long. SilverDome offers activities including public skating, disco skating and skating lessons. As seasonal offerings may change, it is worth checking the schedule before your visit.
At the Nationaal Videogame Museum, visitors can play more than 1,000 different games from today and across several decades. The collection and visitor offerings may continue to evolve. Those more interested in outdoor activity will find a challenging mountain-bike trail of more than five kilometres in Buytenpark, as well as a shorter route for children. Hiking, horse riding and boating are also possible there. The different route lengths provide a practical guide for choosing, without limiting visitors to just one way of enjoying the area.
Recreational Areas and Nature Experiences
At Noord Aa, activities range from swimming and diving to windsurfing, kitesurfing, sailing, canoeing and dragon boating. Hiking, cycling and inline skating are also possible. For swimming, there is a designated area with shallow water and grassy sunbathing areas by the water. Check the water quality and whether conditions are suitable for swimming before your visit.
In Zoetermeer, the Nieuwe Driemanspolder borders Westerpark and Buytenpark. Its nature playground features climbing equipment made from untreated wood and small water-play areas. Nature and play also come together in different ways at Zoetermeer’s city farms: De Balijhoeve has a playground for young children and a nature playground where children can build huts from branches and swing. From there, you can walk directly into Balijbos. De Weidemolen offers older children an adventure trail with a water-play area, logs and stepping stones; the grounds also include herb, berry and fruit gardens. At Het Buitenbeest, a nature playground, animal pastures and a school garden sit alongside a historic farmhouse. Chickens roam freely in its courtyard.
Discover more destinations: Zoetermeer, Westland, Capelle Aan Den Ijssel, Brielle, Oostflakkee, Spijkenisse, Alblasserdam, Wassenaar.
For the regional travel overview: South Holland.
