Broek Op Langedijk – Island World and History

For your trip planning in Broek Op Langedijk, there are several themes to explore: the man-made island world, the history of the vegetable auction and historic waterworks. Which of these you focus on depends on whether you are more interested in the landscape, engineering or village history.

Islands, water and a trip of your own

The landscape around the BroekerVeiling Museum is known as the “Rijk der Duizend Eilanden” (Realm of a Thousand Islands). It consists of small, fertile islands created by people. There were more than 15,000 of these islands. This means that the local landscape is defined not just by waterways, but also by a landscape shaped by people.

In the Rijk der Duizend Eilanden, visitors can rent an electric boat, canoe or SUP for a trip of their own. Exploring independently is another way to experience the water area, distinct from learning about how it was formed and shaped. If you plan such a trip, check the booking details in advance, as they may change.

Fishing is also among the activities described: pike are caught in the waters around Noorderplas. If you want to fish there, check the local fishing regulations separately. This keeps the general information about the fish species distinct from the specific rules for fishing locally.

BroekerVeiling and the history of water engineering

The BroekerVeiling Museum is the world’s oldest drive-through vegetable auction. The monumental wooden auction building of BroekerVeiling dates from 1912. Together, the auction’s name and the building point to a special connection with vegetable auctions; the year gives the structure a specific historical reference.

The Schutsluis and its lock keeper’s house tell another story of water engineering. It is a double lock between the Oosterdel area and the Heerhugowaard ring canal. It was built and commissioned between 15 April 1940 and 25 June 1941, replacing a smaller lock dating from 1769. The details clearly distinguish the earlier structure from the later double lock.

Route, village and agricultural connections

The Oosterdelroute starts at the BroekerVeiling Museum, passes through the old village of Broek op Langedijk and runs alongside the last undeveloped part of the so-called “Rijk der Duizend Eilanden”. Its described route therefore connects the museum, the village and a section of the named island world. If you plan to use the route, check the latest route information before setting off.

The Oosterdelroute also follows the Eerstelingenpad. “Eerstelingen” is a variety of potato grown in Langedijk. The name is therefore a specific agricultural reference along the route, not simply a general term for the island or water landscape.

Many historic market gardeners’ houses and cabbage sheds still stand in the old village of Broek op Langedijk. These buildings reflect different aspects of market gardeners’ daily lives: homes and sheds for cabbages. For those interested in local history, they offer an architectural theme connected with market gardening and cabbage storage, alongside the history of the auction.

Windmills and other village stories

Molen D of the Geestmerambacht polder is a Rijksmonument (listed national heritage site): an octagonal polder windmill built in 1868, with an internal wind-direction mechanism. Molen D / Oosterdel currently drains section D of the Geestmerambacht polder on a voluntary basis. Both its design and year of construction, as well as its currently described function, are relevant to understanding it; its operating status may change.

Vaders Museale Schuitenhelling focuses on the heritage of working boats and industrial boatbuilding. This adds a distinct perspective on maritime and industrial heritage to the themes of water engineering and auction history.

During Lichtjesavond, the village is decorated with thousands of tea lights and other lights, while decorated and illuminated boats pass by. Dates vary from year to year. If you want to plan your trip around this evening, check the dates for the relevant year.

Discover more destinations: Noord-Scharwoude, Zuid-Scharwoude, Sint Pancras, Oudkarspel.

Back to the main travel guide: Langedijk.