Groenekan: Beukenburgerpad and Voordaan

Nature trails around Groenekan

The 14.5-kilometre Beukenburgerpad runs through the rural area of Groenekan and De Bilt. The trail runs near the city of Utrecht and along the boundary between the Utrechtse Heuvelrug and the peat meadow region. The hiking trail starts at the car park on Groenekanseweg near the A27 viaduct.

On the Beukenburgerpad, you can experience the strip landscape, historic country estates, grand avenues and Fort Voordorp. Beukenburg on Beukenburgerlaan in Groenekan also has several unmarked walking trails; the Beukenburgerpad, on the other hand, is a Klompenpad hiking trail. The “Utrecht te Voet” route also leads to Groenekan through the Bos van Voordaan, which is brightly coloured by daffodils in spring.

Water, birds and paths in the countryside

Hooge Kampse Plas lies between Groenekan, De Bilt and Utrecht and is known for its abundance of birds. A partly paved path for walkers and cyclists runs along the lake. A permanently installed pair of binoculars and several benches provide an opportunity to enjoy views of the water. Hooge Kampse Plas is also part of the Natuur Netwerk Nederland, or NNN for short.

Zwembad De Kikker is a natural outdoor swimming pool in Groenekan where swimming is possible throughout the season. Cycle routes run through the polder landscape of Groenekan and Westbroek and along elements of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie, including Fort Ruigenhoek in the Noorderpark Ruigenhoek nature area.

Historic sites and local monuments

Voordaan brings together garden art and architectural history. The historic park of the country estate was laid out around 1850 in the landscape style, based on a design by Jan Copijn. The park includes a curved pond; the planting consists mainly of oaks, beech trees and lower groups of shrubs. From the 18th century onwards, the Copijn family ran a nursery in Groenekan and later developed into landscape architects. The building at Groenekanseweg 85 in Groenekan, Voordaan, has been a Rijksmonument, or Dutch national monument, since 17 September 2001.

Smaller structures also tell the story of the development of the village. The Korenmühle Molen Geesina was built in 1843 as a Dutch smock windmill on a gallery stage and was given the name “De Groene Kan” at the time. Utrechts Landschap restored the mill in 2011 and 2012 and fitted it with sails; since then, the mill has once again been able to turn and grind. The Nederlands-hervormde kerk van Groenekan is a gemeentelijk monument, or municipal monument. It was built in 1952 on behalf of the church council of the Nederlands-hervormde kerk, taken into use in 1953 and constructed in the traditionalist style.

The B-17 monument is part of the local culture of remembrance. It commemorates the emergency landing of an American B-17 bomber on 28 May 1944 in the meadows south of Groenekan, in which three crew members lost their lives. The monument stands at the corner of Versteeglaan and Groenekanseweg in Groenekan, in the municipality of De Bilt. Veldhoeve, a gemeentelijk monument, is also located at Groenekanseweg 62. It was built in 1898 on behalf of W. Grothe van Schellach, the owner of the Voordaan country estate.

For further orientation in the area, you can also discover De Bilt, Westbroek and Bilthoven.

Back to the main travel overview: De Bilt.