Discover Oudorp: Nature, Windmills and History

Oudorp between Polder Landscape and Local History

The Oudorperpolder is a nature area in Oudorp with extensive meadows and characteristic windmills. Walkers, cyclists and nature lovers make use of the area. If you choose a holiday apartment in Oudorp, you can therefore base your choice on your own interests: observing nature, being active or exploring history can each give your trip a different focus.

Experience Nature in Oudorperhout

The Oudorperhout city park lies between the Hoornsevaart and the Munnikenweg in Alkmaar/Oudorp. The Rode Route, a short circular walking route near Alkmaar, runs through Oudorperhout. In spring, meadow birds such as black-tailed godwits, lapwings and redshanks breed there. Great snapdragons, ragged-robin and marsh helleborines also bloom there. The De Leedjes nature area includes the Ambachtsmolen, which stands next to the Kippenbrug in Oudorp. Kerkenbos is another distinctive wooded area: it belongs to the Catholic church complex of St. Laurentius in Oudorp.

Munnikenweg and Medieval Traces

The Munnikenweg has been a municipal monument since 8 December 2018. Its cobblestone surface has long been a sporting challenge for racing cyclists. Historically, the Munnikenweg once provided Floris V's troops with a safe crossing between the castles of Torenburg and Middelburg. De Nieuwburg Castle stood on the northern side of the Munnikenweg, while De Middelburg Castle stood on its southern side. On the site of De Middelburg, the main castle and the moat structure remain clearly visible in the ground. A feature in the pasture is interpreted as a previously unidentified access route to De Nieuwburg Castle.

Windmills, Churches and Cultural Sites

Oudorp's history of windmills can be seen in several specific structures. Molen D is one of four surviving windmills from a group that originally consisted of six mills and was built around 1630. Molen C is also one of the four surviving windmills and the only operational windmill in this group. The Ambachtsmolen offers guided tours and a small museum in the windmill's attic. The church hall of De Terp is suitable for concerts as well as rehearsals by choirs and instrumentalists.

Historic Landscapes for Planning Your Trip

De Terp was built on the remains of earlier churches at the raised end of a beach ridge. Oudorp's Schuilkerk stood from 1658 in a wooded area on the northern side of the village, some distance from the Herenweg. Archaeologists found some remains of this vanished Schuilkerk on the western edge of the lawn. The Carmelite monastery was consecrated in 1470 and destroyed during the Reformation around 1573. On Open Monument Day, the former site of De Nieuwburg Castle was open to visitors on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. When choosing accommodation in Oudorp, you can therefore weigh up whether short nature trails, cycling, windmills or historic sites are most important to you.

More Places to Include in Your Plans

For more travel ideas, you can include Alkmaar, Driehuizen, Stompetoren, Koedijk and Schermerhorn.

To the higher-level travel overview: Alkmaar.