Lopik Among Churches, Mills and Pastoral Landscapes

Lopik brings together historic buildings and the open countryside of the municipality and the Lopikerwaard. Churches and mills tell the story of the area’s long history and water management. Outside, pastures, orchards and rows of farmhouses shape the landscape. When planning your trip, you can therefore discover different sides of the area: architectural history, routes through the countryside and practical places to stop during your visit.

Churches, Mills and Water History

The large church on Dorpstraat is one of Lopik’s oldest monuments. The parish of Lopik was first mentioned in a document in 1155 AD. Traces of a building style dating from the 10th to 12th centuries were also found in the lower section of the choir of the present-day church. These clues span the early mention of the parish and surviving architectural traces, giving the town’s history a long time frame.

Another building with a history of its own is the manor house at Dorpsstraat 6, which dates from 1895. The Cabauwse Molen was built in 1773. Until 1962, wind power drove its drainage operations for the Lopik, Lopikerkapel and Zevenhoven Water Board. The mill can be visited when the blue pennant or flag is raised. As this condition is important for visiting on a particular day, check in advance.

In Jaarsveld, the Dijkhuis was the seat of the Lopikerwaard Water Board. Private guided tours are available on Saturdays or Sundays by appointment. They cover Dutch water management and dike administration, the responsibilities of water boards and the dike reeve, as well as the activities that took place in this Dijkhuis complex. An appointment must be made, so this is not a spontaneous visit without prior arrangements.

Landscape and Routes

Historic cultural and natural landscapes meet in the Lopikerwaard. Its defining features include peat pastures, mills, centuries-old tree lines, long rows of farmhouses and characteristic pollarded willows. The landscape of the municipality of Lopik also includes the Lek River, tree lines, orchards, pastures and elongated villages with farmhouses. This setting offers plenty of opportunities for recreation, without limiting the landscape experience to a single place or route.

In the Lopikerwaard, you can walk along centuries-old Tiend paths or cycle along the Lekdijk. The municipality of Lopik also has a numbered network of walking junctions. Between junctions, orange signs with blue arrows point in different directions. Cycling options include short and long routes along the Lekdijk and between farmhouses and pastures.

Ferry, Swimming Pool and Market

The “De Overkant” bicycle and pedestrian ferry connects Lopik and Ameide across the Lek River. It operates seasonally, so check the timetable before travelling. In Lopik-Dorp, the Lobeke outdoor swimming pool is open for swimming during the summer months. The small weekly market takes place on Thursdays from 08:30 to 12:30 on Willem-Alexanderplein in Lopik. These regular opening times can help you fit a visit to the market or swimming pool into your day; for the ferry, it is especially important to check the season.

Products from the Municipality

Farm shops in the municipality of Lopik sell products made on the respective farms. Farm-gate products include Lopiker cheese, fruit grown in the countryside and freshly made farm ice cream. These are specific regional products that reflect the agricultural character of the surrounding area. A bicycle rental service is listed at Wielsekade 2, 3411 AA Lopik. If you plan to use this service, confirm in advance that it will be available during your visit.

Discover more destinations: Polsbroek, Benschop.

Go to the main travel overview: Lopik.