Abcoude – Forts, Mills and Polder Landscape

Abcoude combines historic defensive structures and mills with paths through the polder landscape. This gives you three distinct areas to focus on when planning your trip: architectural history, water management and walking. If you are looking for a hotel in Abcoude, these themes can help you tailor your stay to your interests. The places and routes below differ in their content and the time they take, so you can decide in advance whether you would rather focus on several cultural landmarks or a walk.

Forts, Earthworks and Monuments

Fort bij Abcoude is the oldest fort in the Stelling van Amsterdam and is designated both a Rijksmonument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built between 1884 and 1887 as part of the defensive line. The main building includes a powder magazine, a water cistern and sleeping quarters; the outer walls are 1.8 metres thick. Batterij aan het Gein is an earthwork fortification at the end of the Liniewal Geindijk-Nigtevecht in Abcoude. Two enclosed earthworks were constructed between 1800 and 1810 on both sides of the Gein, near the Oostzijdse Molen. The church at Kerkplein 45 is also designated a Rijksmonument. Abcoude is therefore home to various forms of cultural heritage: a fort with a main building, an earthwork fortification, enclosed earthworks and a listed church.

Mills and Polder History

The present-day Molen Oostzijdsch was built after its predecessor burned down following a lightning strike on 2 August 1873. Until 1950, it drained the 830-hectare Oostzijdse Polder. The Broekzijdse Molen was built in 1641 as a binnenkruier. Until 1980, it drained the 317-hectare Broekzijds Polder and discharged the water into the Gein. The two mills thus represent different polder areas and periods; for the Broekzijdse Molen, the water route into the Gein is also part of its history. The construction date, drainage function and polder size offer different ways to explore the historic landscape around Abcoude.

Walking Between Towns and Along Polder Paths

The Bellopad offers a roughly five-hour walk between Mijdrecht and Abcoude through a varied area of nature, culture and surprising views. The Abcoude–Baambrugge section and return along the Bellopad takes two hours and starts at De Witte Dame restaurant in Abcoude. These descriptions cover both a longer route connecting two towns and a shorter section with a return walk, with different estimated times. Another walking route, 10 kilometres long, runs from Fort bij Abcoude to Fort Nigtevecht.

The Ouder-Amstel Route starts in Abcoude and follows small polder paths along the Waver, through the Botshol nature reserve and on to the Amstel. The route descriptions have different emphases: the Bellopad focuses on two walking times, while the Ouder-Amstel Route follows a course through the polder landscape, along the Waver and through Botshol to the Amstel. When planning your trip, you can compare whether you would rather focus on walking time or on a particular sequence of landscapes.

Abcoude Festival Week

Feestweek Abcoude is a five-day village festival centred on the historic horse market. Its fixed core still falls on the last Thursday in August. Recurring programme events include a horse market, a prize competition and ring-tilting contests for riders and carriages. The annual programme may vary. If you want to plan your trip around the festival, check the dates for the year in question. This gives you a specific seasonal point of reference alongside the historic buildings and walking routes.

Discover more destinations: Vinkeveen, Baambrugge, De Hoef, Mijdrecht

Back to the regional travel overview: De Ronde Venen.