Stichtse Vecht: Water, Fortifications and Peatland

The history of Slot Zuylen dates back to the 13th century, and the castle has an exceptionally rich architectural history. It has been open to the public as a museum since 1952. Check the current visiting hours before your arrival.

Castles, gardens and visitor experiences

The gardens, too, tell the story of different design periods. In 1839, the garden at Slot Zuylen was redesigned, and landscape architect Zocher was asked to create a new plan in the English landscape style. Kasteelpark Loenersloot was laid out around 1797 and is considered a rare type of garden in the Netherlands.

Kasteelpark Loenersloot is open to the public free of charge. Seasonal opening times may change, so check them before visiting. From April to October, volunteers from Utrechts Landschap regularly offer guided tours, talks and concerts at Kasteel Loenersloot. For specific dates, check the current events calendar.

Water and peatland

In summer, De Strook offers opportunities to swim, play and sunbathe on a sandy beach and a large sunbathing lawn by the fifth lake of the Loosdrechtse Plassen. Admission is free, and facilities include picnic benches, barbecue areas and a volleyball court. Facilities may change, so check what is currently available before your visit.

The landscape of the Tienhovense Plassen bears clear traces of peat extraction: narrow strips of land and peat-cutting ditches define the peatland. The Molenpolder in the municipality of Stichtse Vecht is also a water-rich lowland peat area. Centuries of peat extraction and human management shaped its broad ditches and elongated peat-cutting ditches. Rare plants and wetland birds, including wild orchids, spoonbills and purple herons, find a habitat in the Oostelijke binnenpolder.

Walking trails, forts and waterways

The Vredevoetpad is a waymarked walking trail through the Tienhovense Plassen, with its ponds and herb-rich grasslands. It starts at the Streekmuseum Vredegoed; the area around the trail is part of the “Oostelijke Vechtplassen” Natura 2000 site. The Liniepad offers a different focus: it runs from Fort bij Abcoude to Fort bij Nigtevecht and back, passing forts and batteries and following the Gein River. Along the way, there are views over a landscape of water, windmills and meadows.

The Doortraproute Maarssen is a designated 23-kilometre cycling route. You can also explore the Vecht corridor and its surrounding landscape by bike. Routes along the Vecht lead to country estates, castles and tea pavilions, and through historic landscape parks; depending on the route, they are suitable for walking, cycling or travelling by water. A small motorboat lets you explore the Vecht through picturesque villages; boat services may be seasonal.

The Waterlinie Fietsbootroute combines cycling with trips on De Fietsboot, either on the Vecht or on the Loosdrechtse Plassen. This gives you a change of pace as the route takes in different waterways. Since service details may change, check the current timetable before setting out.

Forts where history meets nature

You can explore Fort bij Nigtevecht on walks through the fort or the outer fort. The visitor experience also includes the “Gewapend water” exhibition in the gorge casemate and a look inside the barracks. Exhibitions and visitor arrangements may change, so check the current details in advance.

Fort Nieuwersluis houses a small museum about the Cold War. At that time, the fort was used as a command post by the Dutch Civil Defence (BB); the visitor experience “BB-Beleving” is also available. Through the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie, Fort Nieuwersluis is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Hollandse Waterlinies. The fort grounds also provide a habitat for bats, grass snakes, kingfishers and pheasants.

Museums and rural history

The Streekmuseum Vredegoed in Tienhoven displays rural and farming items from around 1900 from Tienhoven, Oud Maarsseveen and the surrounding area. The collection relates to traditional domestic life, farming crafts, peat extraction and village life. Boerderij Vredegoed is a Rijksmonument with historic Art Nouveau features and is itself of museum value. A museum at the Goudestein country estate tells the story of the Vecht region and its residents.

Discover more destinations: Breukelen, Baarn, Woerden, Nieuwegein, Loenen, Houten, Amersfoort, De Ronde Venen.

For the main travel overview: Utrecht.