Lijnden: Routes by the Water and Technical History

Lijnden combines waterways with technical history. Hoofdvaart, Ringvaart and Gemaal De Lynden provide clear landmarks; a towpath, other routes by the water and a place to stop for a meal add to your travel plans. This makes it easy to choose Lijnden as a destination based on the themes that matter to your stay.

Waterways as landmarks

Hoofdvaart is a 20-kilometre-long canal that runs past Lijnden from north to south. In the north, it meets Ringvaart at Gemaal De Lynden. This brings a long canal and a pumping station on Ringvaart together in Lijnden. Ringvaart has been municipal heritage of the municipality of Haarlemmermeer since 2017. The two waterways offer different points of interest: Hoofdvaart provides a sense of direction with its north–south course, while Ringvaart adds heritage status and connections to routes by the water to the technical context.

Pumping station, canal and electrification

Gemaal De Lynden was one of three steam pumping stations that helped drain the Haarlemmermeer between 1849 and 1852. Hoofdvaart was excavated in 1852, after the land had been drained. Together, these details establish the chronology of the pumping station work and canal construction: the pumping stations helped drain the lake between 1849 and 1852; Hoofdvaart was excavated afterwards, in 1852.

The transformer house in Lijnden offers another technical topic to explore. It was built to electrify a centrifugal pump at Gemaal De Lynden and the hamlet of Lijnden. J.B. van Loghem designed the transformer house in 1919. Its purpose and design year tell different stories: its construction relates to electrification, while the date places the design in time. For travellers interested in technical and industrial history, this creates a clear thread connecting water engineering, pumping stations and electrification.

Walking and cycling by the water

A towpath about 2 kilometres long runs beside Ringvaart between Lijnden and Zwanenburg and is now used as a walking trail. The approximate length and the two places provide a concrete sense of scale for planning your route. There is also a cycling route and several walking trails by the water along Ringvaart Haarlemmermeer. The tourist route “Rondje Ringvaart Haarlemmermeer” passes through Lijnden, among other places.

This gives you several options to consider: a walking trail with named endpoints and an approximate length, cycling and walking routes along the water, and a tourist route through the area. You can decide whether to focus your trip on a specific stretch of path, a cycling route or the course of a tourist route.

A break and a place to eat

At the corner of Hoofdweg Westzijde, where Lijnderdijk meets Akerdijk, there is a waterside seating area with a charging station for e-bikes. If you are travelling by e-bike, you can use this spot as a landmark. As visitor facilities can change, check the current status of the charging station before your visit.

QuatreBeach is located in the former pumping station in Lijnden. The restaurant has an industrial-style interior and a wooden terrace with sand. Its offerings include breakfast, lunch, drinks and dinner. Stopping here for a meal also gives you a chance to visit another building connected to the area’s technical history. Restaurant details and offerings may change; check in advance what is currently available.

Discover more destinations: Schiphol, Hoofddorp, Badhoevedorp, Schiphol-Rijk, Vijfhuizen, Halfweg, Zwanenburg, Nieuw-Vennep

For the overview of the wider area: Haarlemmermeer.