Discover Uithoorn: Trails, Water and Culture

Uithoorn offers several ways to plan a stay: marked walking routes, green spaces, historic buildings and activities on the water. To plan your trip, you can first decide whether you would rather focus on a particular route, natural areas, architecture or SUP options. The routes differ in length, course and the experiences described; the details below will help you arrange outings according to your interests.

Walking routes with different highlights

The Polderspoorpad is marked with yellow-red-yellow stripes; its signs point counterclockwise. It runs along the green railway embankment of the former light railway between Amstelveen and Uithoorn. Along the way, there are views of lakes and polders, residential neighbourhoods and commercial areas, as well as the town park and town woodland. Greenhouses, meadows and fields are also among the landscapes along the route. Green spaces and open areas thus sit alongside built-up and agricultural areas.

The route oude dorp is 3 km long and takes about an hour. It is accessible to wheelchair users as far as the steps at the crossing of Koningin Maximalaan. It passes through the old centre of Uithoorn and the first post-war extensions in the Thamerdal district, which were built around 1950. Along the way, the route passes several monumental trees; it also showcases the historic village centre with St Jan de Doperkerk on the Schans.

Another option is the Wandeling door groen Uithoorn. It passes through the Tuin van Bram de Groote and the Zijdelse Zomp marsh woodland, follows the banks of the Zijdelmeer and continues along the towpath beside the Amstel to Fort aan de Drecht. Its course therefore links several named landscape sites. By contrast, the route oude dorp focuses on local history and the development of Thamerdal; along the Polderspoorpad, views of polders, green spaces and built-up areas alternate.

Nature, gardens and historic buildings

The Zijdelse Zomp is a marsh woodland rich in birds, where a grass snake has been recorded. The orchard in the Tuin van Bram de Groote contains dozens of old fruit varieties. Both places are on the route of the Wandeling door groen Uithoorn and give it distinct connections to nature and gardens.

Buildings also offer tangible points of historical interest. The Thamerkerk is listed as a Rijksmonument in the Dutch national heritage register. Its Knipscheer organ dates from 1836 and was later enlarged. De Hoeksteen was Gerrit Rietveld’s only church design and was inaugurated in July 1965.

Fort aan de Drecht was built in 1911 and is part of the Stelling van Amsterdam, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The casemate at the gorge contains an exhibition about the fort and the UNESCO monument Stelling van Amsterdam. Visitors can also eat pancakes at Het Pannenkoekenfort inside the fort. If you are planning a visit, check the latest visitor information.

SUP options on the water

There is a SUP launch point in the harbour of Uithoorn. Fortvarend offers SUP courses and SUP board rentals. For groups of five or more, a BIG SUP on the Amstel can also be reserved there. The minimum group size is a specific point to bear in mind when planning; offers and availability may change. So check in advance what is available for your chosen date.

The routes and places mentioned offer different themes for your stay in Uithoorn, without requiring you to limit your plans to just one focus.

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