Pijnacker-Nootdorp: Discover Nature and History

Pijnacker-Nootdorp offers a variety of ways to spend your free time: wetlands and birdwatching, paths and activities by the water, and historic sites. If you are looking for a hotel here, the excursions you plan to take during your stay can help you make a suitable choice. Consider whether you would rather explore landscapes, spend time by the water or learn about the history of the area.

Natural Areas and Activities

In the Bieslandse Bos, woodland, marsh, ruderal areas and open polder landscapes alternate. The area also has walking trails and a play forest for children. The Krekengebied offers a distinctive marsh environment: the marsh is not accessible, and walking trails run around it. It provides a habitat for bluethroats and, occasionally, great bitterns. Bicycles and horses are not allowed on the walking trails in the Bieslandse Bos; dogs must always be kept on a leash in the Krekengebied. Check the signs on site, as these rules may change.

Around the Dobbeplas, you can walk, skate or relax by the shore. A sandy beach, a play and sunbathing lawn, and space for games or a picnic make the waterfront a different focus from the walking trails in the Bieslandse Bos. Water rails, great bitterns, kingfishers and snipes are native to a nature island in the Dobbeplas. Here, recreation by the water meets habitats for birds.

The Groenzoom is a 560-hectare nature and recreation area. You can walk, cycle, canoe or ride there; bodies of water and reed beds and grassland shape the landscape. In Buytenhout, walking and cycling routes pass through open polder landscapes where cattle graze. A play forest and a gnome trail are aimed at younger nature lovers. The two areas therefore offer different activities and landscapes.

The Ackerdijkse Plassen are an important bird area in the Netherlands. Despite the pressure from the Randstad, the area provides a habitat for many special bird species. The nature reserve is not freely accessible, but you can explore it as part of activities with a ranger. Check booking requirements and availability before you travel. De Tureluur is one of three viewpoints at the Ackerdijkse Plassen; from there, the view extends across the bird reserve to the Rotterdam skyline.

Discover Local History

Windlust, a grain mill built in 1885, stands in Nootdorp. Its octagonal mill body is one of its distinctive features; the cap came from a mill dated to 1781 in Delft. As of August 2026, Windlust is open to the public by appointment, usually on Saturdays or when the miller is present. Make arrangements for your visit in advance.

The Dorpskerk stands on the site of Pijnacker’s former parish church, beside a distinctive historic tower. This tower was originally a defensive tower. The leaning tower housed the bell known as Barbara, dating from 1434. There are also 15 historic information panels across the municipality that recall its history. Five Stolpersteine (stumbling stones) commemorate Jewish residents of Pijnacker-Nootdorp who were murdered during the Second World War.

A historic walking route starts and ends at the Dorpskerk, passing historic buildings, facade stones and Stolpersteine along the way. An interactive map of Pijnacker’s historic heritage lets you choose your own routes between monuments and Stolpersteine. The Historisch Genootschap Oud-Pijnacker also provides printable historic walking routes as PDFs. This lets you choose between a described walking route and one of your own.

Plan Your Visit and Journey

Three metro stations serve Pijnacker-Nootdorp: Nootdorp, Pijnacker-Centrum and Pijnacker-Zuid are on the E line. This information comes from the municipality’s 2023 mobility report. If you plan to use the metro to get there, check the current service before travelling. For trips to the Ackerdijkse Plassen, also take into account the booking requirements and availability of ranger activities; the nature reserve cannot be visited freely.

Discover more destinations: Nootdorp, Nederlek, Alphen Aan Den Rijn, Strijen, Graafstroom, Nieuwkoop, Zederik, Westvoorne.

For the broader travel overview: South Holland.