Discover Scharwoude: Nature, History and Finding a Holiday Home

Scharwoude between Nature and History

Anyone looking for a holiday home in Scharwoude will find various points of interest in and around the village to help plan their trip. You can go for walks in the De Hulk recreational area. The 58-hectare area is divided into an area inside and an area outside the dike. One part of De Hulk focuses on a natural landscape, where a diverse range of plant and animal life can be seen. Scharwoude therefore offers an interesting combination of experiencing the landscape and the opportunity to include historic places in your stay.

Routes through De Hulk and Suyderbraeck

Several specific routes are available for walks and excursions in the surrounding area. The orange route is 1.6 kilometres long and runs through the Suyderbraeck nature reserve. The present-day landscape of De Suyderbraeck was created through cultivation measures at the beginning of the second millennium. The blue route leads through De Hulk and along the centuries-old Westfriese Omringdijk. The routes therefore combine natural areas with a distinctive historic dike landscape.

A separate family-oriented option is the Kabouterpad. The 2.2-kilometre route runs through De Hulk and partly through Scharwoude. It was officially opened on 2 March 2022 and was suitable for children from around three years of age. The distances of 1.6 and 2.2 kilometres can help you decide which excursion better suits your planned daily schedule, without having to consider the experience of nature and the history of the village separately.

Architecture on Stationsweg

A notable historic trace is the station building at Stationsweg 4 in Scharwoude. Its floor plan is shaped like a Latin cross: a single-storey building runs parallel to the railway line, while a two-storey transverse wing is arranged at right angles to it. The former railway station building is a historically functional central part of the complex. In West Friesland, Station Scharwoude is the only surviving station building of this type that has retained its original form. It was built in the Neo-Renaissance style.

Church History and Garden Culture

The Hervormde Kerk at Scharwoude 8 also preserves a distinctive detail: it contains a fragment of a 17th-century oak baptismal screen with a copper baptismal arch bearing the coat of arms of the former municipality of Scharwoude. The Reformed, later Dutch Reformed, congregation of Scharwoude formed an independent church congregation and had its own minister from 1669 onward.

The Landgoed Station Scharwoude estate includes a Stinzen garden with a woodland pond. Over time, the garden was expanded to approximately 3 hectares. The Westfries Museum, the Jan Pieterszoon Coen monument, the Koepelkerk and Julianapark are also located in the immediate vicinity of Scharwoude. Fort Nekkerweg a/d is located in the vicinity of Scharwoude.

Further Regional Perspectives

When looking for a holiday home in Scharwoude, it can be helpful to decide in advance whether short nature trails, historic buildings or excursions farther afield in the region should be the main focus. Marken is located on an island in the wider regional surroundings of Scharwoude. Wijde Wormer and Rekerhout are also located there. These different connections to places and landscapes provide a clear basis for planning your stay according to your interests and preferred pace of excursions.

Further local pages for your planning are Zuidermeer, Oudendijk, Obdam, Hensbroek, Spierdijk, Berkhout, Ursem and Avenhorn.

For the overarching travel overview: Koggenland.