Berkhout: Culture, Architecture and Waterways

For a trip to Berkhout, culture, historic architecture and activities on the water offer different points of interest. If you are looking for a hotel for your stay, these themes can help you choose a destination that suits your interests. The Berkhouter Kerk combines cultural use with a historic instrument and a war memorial; several residential and farm buildings showcase different rural architectural styles. Outdoors, you can choose from a boating network, a nature playground and the Kabouterpad, each with its own features.

Cultural history at the Berkhouter Kerk

The Berkhouter Kerk was extensively restored and refitted in 2012 and 2013. It has been used as a cultural centre since 12 April 2013. Its features include a monumental Van Dam organ, commissioned in 1887 and brought into use a year later. The war memorial at the church bears the names of four English airmen and five residents who lost their lives as a result of the war. The memorial consists of a black natural stone plaque set into the surface.

Historic architecture in different forms

Anna Hoeve consists of a house with a stolp barn attached at the rear. The house was built in an eclectic style and probably dates from around 1875. Anna Hoeve is regarded as a well-preserved example of late-19th-century rural architecture and is of architectural and cultural-historical significance. The stolp farm at Bobeldijk 22 dates from around 1850. Its features include a decorative wooden gable, pilasters with vases and a round chimney with decorative brickwork.

Troostwijk is a house built around 1875 as a retirement home. It stands on the south side of Westeinde, with its ridge line parallel to the road. Together with its associated gate piers, Troostwijk is regarded as a largely well-preserved example of rural architecture from the last quarter of the 19th century, with cultural and architectural-historical significance.

Another building is the baarhuisje at Kerkebuurt 172. The single-storey red-brick building dates from around 1885. Its gabled roof is covered with black Dutch roof tiles, and it also has stepped corbels. The baarhuisje is of general cultural and architectural-historical significance and is a key part of the church complex. Together, the buildings illustrate a range of styles, from a house with a barn to a stolp farm and this single-storey brick building.

Waterways and outdoor activities

Koggenland has had an extensive boating network since the early 1980s. It runs along Berkhout and through the open landscape of the Westerkogge and is suitable for flat-bottomed boats, rowing boats and canoes. The types of boats and the landscape along the route give this activity a different character from walks on foot.

De Buitenholle nature playground in Berkhout offers opportunities for play and discovery for young and old, including playing and splashing about with water and sand. As the facilities may change, check which play options are currently available before visiting.

The Kabouterpad in De Hulk, between Berkhout and Scharwoude, officially opened on 2 March 2022. The 2.2-kilometre route leads through the park and partly through Scharwoude; it is suitable for children aged around three and up. Check current access arrangements before visiting.

Discover more destinations: Obdam, Oudendijk, Spierdijk, Hensbroek, Zuidermeer, Scharwoude, Ursem, Avenhorn

See the overview of destinations in the wider area: Koggenland.