Oostzaan – Nature, Water and History

Right next to the town lies the Oostzanerveld; Het Twiske offers a wide range of recreational activities, and historic buildings and monuments in Oostzaan tell the story of the local past.

Oostzanerveld and Het Twiske

The Oostzanerveld is a peat meadow area with narrow ditches, reed beds and hundreds of small islands. As part of the Natura 2000 area “Ilperveld, Varkensland, Oostzanerveld en ’t Twiske,” it has protected status. On the paths in Het Twiske, you may be able to spot Scottish Highland cattle as well as meadow, water and reed birds. This makes the landscape a different focus from the historic buildings in the town.

In Het Twiske, there are opportunities for swimming, diving, surfing and sailing. You can also cycle, hike, go boating, ride horses and skate there; the area offers a varied landscape. The facilities mentioned include a ferry, rope and raft bridges, a climbing tower, a zip line, a tube fort and a pirate ship. The list covers different features of the area, from waterways to structures and play equipment.

Routes by mode of transport

The Twiske Vaarroute is about 16 kilometres long and runs through the Oostzanerveld and Het Twiske. A varied canoe route also runs through both areas, allowing you to explore the Oostzanerveld by canoe. For mountain bikers, Het Smaal runs for about 3.5 kilometres through the wooded area of Het Twiske. The 10-kilometre “Recreatief en historisch Oostzaan” walking route connects the Het Twiske recreation area with historic sites in Oostzaan.

These routes differ both in mode of transport and in length: the approximately 3.5-kilometre mountain bike route is followed by the 10-kilometre walking route and the roughly 16-kilometre Twiske Vaarroute. This helps you distinguish between cycling, walking and water routes, without treating them as comparable outings. When planning your trip, you can consider your preferred activity as a separate focus alongside the landscape and local history.

The Weeshuis and its history

The Weeshuis in Oostzaan was built in 1695 as a country house for a very wealthy lady—not as an orphanage. It was not used as an orphanage until 1774. Before then, orphans were accommodated in a house on Kerkstraat, which was then called Weerpad. This sequence distinguishes the building’s original purpose from its later use.

The north wing of the Weeshuis was built in 1713; its original purpose is unknown. Above its door are figures of an orphan boy and an orphan girl, with the coat of arms of Oostzaan between them. The building thus combines a change in use with specific architectural details, while the purpose of the extension remains unclear.

Churches, monuments and local history

The Hervormde Kerk, also known as the Grote Kerk of Oostzaan, has a wooden tower above a facade decorated with Rococo scrolls. The Nederlands Gereformeerde Kerk in Oostzaan houses a two-manual cabinet organ with an attached pedal and 13 stops. H.H. Hess built the instrument in 1785; in 1981, the Flentrop BV firm from Zaandam restored the organ.

A monument in the square in front of the Grote Kerk commemorates Jacob Cornelisz. van Oostsanen, a painter who came from Oostzaan. The resistance monument on Kerkplein is a bronze chair on a concrete plinth. The Hannie Schaft monument in Oostzaan was erected because her father, Pieter Schaft, came from the town. These different monuments thus preserve various aspects of the town’s history.

The history of the food trade is also part of the story: in 1895, Albert Heijn began roasting his own coffee in the washroom of his grocery store in Oostzaan. Together with the churches, the Weeshuis and the monuments, this offers a look at several historical themes to consider during your stay, alongside the area’s landscapes and routes.

For a broader travel overview: Oostzaan.