Bodegraven-Reeuwijk: Holiday apartments and holiday homes

Bodegraven-Reeuwijk combines a peatland lake landscape with Roman history, fortifications, windmills and regional routes. The Reeuwijkse Plassen give the area a particularly distinctive character: thirteen lakes were created in the 18th century through peat extraction, are accessible year-round and offer opportunities for boating. Between bodies of water, old villages and historic sites, a varied picture of the South Holland landscape emerges.

Landscape and water

The creation of the Reeuwijkse Plassen is closely connected with the history of the peatland area. The old villages known as the “Oude Dorpen” arose between 1100 and 1300 as a result of the drainage and cultivation of the peatland. Later, peat extraction in the 18th century shaped the thirteen lakes that today are among the defining landscape features of Bodegraven-Reeuwijk. The Reeuwijkse Plassen are accessible year-round and offer opportunities for boating.

Roman traces and the history of fortifications

Roman soldiers lived in Bodegraven in a fort that once stood there. This Roman fort was probably built in 61 AD. The “Wandeling door Romeins Bodegraven” route leads to places where Roman traces have been found and can be downloaded free of charge. The section of the Neder-Germaanse Limes running through Zuid-Holland from Katwijk to Bodegraven is part of the route.

The history of water defense is also present in several places. Fort Wierickerschans was built as a defensive structure in 1673. During the Rampjaar, the dikes along the Rhine were defended on both sides at De Schansen van Nieuwerbrug. The headquarters of Prince Willem III was also established at De Schansen van Nieuwerbrug. The fort includes the Kruithuis, which dates from 1747 and has been preserved in its original condition. It has an exhibition room and can accommodate workshops and smaller presentations.

Windmills and museum

The Oukoopse Molen is a wip water mill and dates from around 1674. It is a Rijksmonument and, following the restoration of the watercourse in 2019, is fully capable of milling on a voluntary basis. The Streekmuseum Reeuwijk is housed in a farmhouse dating from 1907. Its permanent exhibition explains the creation of the Reeuwijkse Plassen through peat extraction in Reeuwijk and Sluipwijk; in addition, the museum presents a changing exhibition each season.

Routes between history and agriculture

Several routes connect the historical themes with the landscape. The Linie-Ploeter Route starts at Bodegraven NS railway station. The 24-kilometre “Romeinen & Turfstekers” cycling route also runs through Bodegraven-Reeuwijk. Its starting point is at TOP Reeuwijkse Hout on the Reeuwijkse Houtwal in Reeuwijk. The Smikkelroute provides another regional connection: it passes farms offering fresh and traditionally produced products. Along the way, visitors can buy food for immediate consumption or to take home.

Places for culture and regional experiences

Local dance schools, theatre groups, bands and other groups perform at the Evertshuis. Bodegraven NS railway station is a two-minute walk from the Evertshuis. Brouwerij De Molen is also represented with a specific guided tour: the tours last 80 to 90 minutes and require advance registration. The tour includes a visit to the new brewery near the mill, where three of the brewery’s beers are sampled.

For a further overview of the area, see Bodegraven, Reeuwijk and Nieuwerbrug aan Den Rijn.

Visitor information

The grounds of Fort Wierickerschans are generally freely accessible to individual visitors from Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The routes, exhibitions, historic sites and bodies of water mentioned are therefore available in different forms: as freely accessible grounds, as a seasonally changing museum experience, as a route reference or as a landscape offering opportunities for boating.

For the broader travel overview: South Holland.

More destinations

More places within the same destination:

Barendrecht, Delft, Graafstroom, Noordwijkerhout, Alphen Aan Den Rijn.