Holiday apartment in Ouder-Amstel between culture, polders and water

Ouder-Amstel combines an impressive cultural history with waterscapes and historic paths. This is particularly evident at the Portuguese-Israeli cemetery Beth Haim: it was founded in 1614 and is still in use as a four-hectare Rijksmonument.

Culture

The untouched grounds of Beth Haim on the Amstel contain around 30,000 graves. They tell the story of the history and culture of Portuguese Jews in the Netherlands. Beth Haim is open to everyone year-round and can be visited independently or with a guided tour by appointment.

The Ouder-Amstel Museum is housed in old deacon’s cottages on Kerkstraat in the centre of Ouderkerk aan de Amstel. Old maps, models, everyday objects and photographs convey the history of the region. A particular focus is the region’s relationship with water.

Technical and architectural landmarks also form part of the cultural landscape. Gemaal Ronde Hoep was built in 1913 at the Ronde Hoep polder near Ouderkerk aan de Amstel. The pumping station still contains the old diesel engine, as well as almost all of the original equipment, measuring instruments and tools.

The centre of Ouderkerk aan de Amstel has been designated a protected village landscape since 1990. The protected centre offers a characteristic village setting with buildings around a waterside square at the confluence of the Amstel and Bullewijk. Amstelkerk stands on the site of the oldest church in Amstelland; it is a neoclassical church built in 1775 as a Dutch Reformed church. Inside, the pulpit, the gentlemen’s pew and the Flaes organ from 1865 are particularly worth seeing.

In Duivendrecht, De Kleine Kerk is a cultural venue for film, music, theatre and singing.

Water and nature

The Ouderkerkerplas recreational area includes beaches and a day campsite. For surfers, canoeists and users of small sailboats, the area has a boat ramp and a surfing shore. In the same recreational area, bird lovers can observe thousands of wigeon.

The polder landscape adds a historical dimension to these connections with water. The Ronde Hoep polder is part of the Groene Hart and an almost untouched example of how people settled undeveloped land in the early Middle Ages. Today, the polder is used by walkers and cyclists.

Routes

Several signposted routes explore the history and landscape of Ouder-Amstel. The Duivendrecht historical walking route tells the history of Duivendrecht through information panels at historically interesting locations. Three historical walks have been created and signposted in Ouderkerk aan de Amstel. They are easy to follow and marked with signs.

The Duivendrecht cycling route leads through the Groot Duivendrechtse Polder and along the Amstel to Ouderkerk. Along the way, it passes the village’s sights. The routes therefore focus on both the polder landscapes and the history and architectural landmarks of the villages.

For further destination ideas, you can also open the pages for Ouderkerk An Der Amstel and Duivendrecht.

To the higher-level travel overview: North Holland.

More destinations

More places in the same destination:

Medemblik, Oostzaan, Laren, Loenen, Huizen, Castricum.