Kwadijk

Kwadijk brings together several themes that offer different focal points when planning a stay: the water tower and its architectural history, the unfinished Fort bij Kwadijk, activities at Kerk Kwadijk, and connections to the polder landscape and nature. If you are looking for a hotel, these points of interest can help you shape the character of your trip. Architecture and military history sit alongside the possibility of attending an event and following a route. Depending on your interests, these offer different ways to explore the area.

Water tower: architecture and construction history

The water tower is 45.5 metres high and was built in 1925, commissioned by the Provinciaal Waterleidingsbedrijf van Noord-Holland and based on a design by the architect B. F. van Nievelt. Its features include Art Deco decoration and two combined flat-bottomed tanks. The building can therefore be understood in terms of both its height and its design: its dimensions convey its scale, while the decoration and tanks provide specific details about its architectural form. Travellers interested in architecture can view it from several angles, from its ornamental design to the arrangement of its tanks. The national monument register considers the well-preserved tower to be of general importance because of its architectural and cultural-historical value.

Fort bij Kwadijk: an unfinished construction history

Fort bij Kwadijk is located on the Zeevangsdijk between the villages of Kwadijk and Middelie, near Purmerend. Its construction history can be traced through its various stages. The earthworks, ramparts and moat were completed in 1895; however, only part of the actual fort’s foundations was built. When the Stelling van Amsterdam was mobilised in 1914, construction work was halted. The contrast between the completed earthworks and the unfinished fort is important to understanding the site. The sequence of dates makes clear that the outer structures reached a different stage of completion from the fort itself. Those interested in military history will find a specific example of an unfinished construction project here.

Church, events and route

Kerk Kwadijk regularly hosts concerts, readings and exhibitions in addition to church services; pupils also practise singing there. Event dates may vary, so it is advisable to check the current programme before visiting. The church is also on the 30-kilometre QR Church Route Zeevang, which passes by it. This brings together two different points of interest in one place: cultural events held at specific times and a connection to a church along a longer route. When planning, it is a good idea to check the event dates and route details against your own travel dates.

Polder landscape and protected nature

Kwadijkervlot is one of the small marshland cores in the Natuurnetwerk Nederland (NNN) and the Natura 2000 area. This connection to nature complements the architectural and cultural history with a landscape perspective. The Zeevangroute also passes through a distinctive landscape: it runs through the De Zeevang polder landscape, with Kwadijk named as a rest stop between the World Heritage Site De Beemster and Edam-Volendam. The two routes thus offer different kinds of orientation. For the QR Church Route, the stated details are its 30-kilometre length and its route past the church; the Zeevangroute focuses on the polder landscape and Kwadijk as a named rest stop. If you use these details to plan your trip, check the latest route information, as routes and rest-stop details may change.

Discover more destinations: Middelie, Schardam, Oosthuizen, Warder, Beets

To the regional travel overview: Zeevang.