Mini holiday in the Eilandspolder in nostalgic Laag Holland

| Reading time: 7 minutes | By: Anne-Floor |

Discovering new places in our own country. Something I have been doing a lot of recently and which I enjoy immensely. Laag Holland, also known as Amsterdam's backyard, was one of the places in our little country that was not necessarily on my bucket list. Until I got to stay at Dijkhuisje De Taanman in Grootschermer and explore the area there, both on land and from the water. Taking a boat through green nature reserve the Eilandspolder, visiting historic villages like De Rijp and Graft and peeking into the neighbours' backyard from a sup. Two days of relaxing on the water in an authentic Dutch setting and I was completely won over.

narrow ditches and green fields - By boat through

Laag Holland is a watery area full of historic villages (some well-known like Volendam, others less well-known but no less beautiful like Monnickendam), green fields with views of windmills, harbours full of sloops and farms with local produce.

It is also possible to explore this beautiful area from the water. We hired a boat in picturesque De Rijp from whisper boat rental Het Ouweland and despite the lack of sunshine, we thoroughly enjoyed our trip through the Eilandspolder. These blue boats have quiet engines and cruise at a leisurely pace. This allows you to quietly enjoy the sounds of nature around you and spot many different bird species without disturbing them.

The Eilandspolder is traditionally a water-rich area. Man-made, it used to form an island between the Schermer and Beemster lakes. Later, this area was reclaimed and several villages and land between small rivers came into being. The many windmills, green meadows full of cows and sheep and villages with authentic houses make the Eilandspolder perfect for discovering a piece of nostalgic Laag Holland from a boat.

The Wapen van Munster in De Rijp - Eat fish responsibly at

Several people tipped us off to dine at Het Wapen van Munster in De Rijp and we couldn't resist the temptation. Just the location of the restaurant in the middle of the city centre is incredibly beautiful. Perfect for combining lunch or dinner with a walk through this historic spot.

But the food is also an important reason to visit. We enjoyed richly filled Paella and a deliciously prepared Surf & Turf, both highly recommended for anyone who loves fish. The flavours were not only delicious, but also pleasing to the eye.

Dijkhuisje De Taanman - A cosy stay at

Dijkhuisje De Taanman can only be described as cosy. The living room full of books, candles, flowers and old records is guaranteed to make you enjoy yourself. The beautiful view of the watery surroundings and garden is then the icing on the cake. The living room has a stove that can be used and the bulging games cupboard ensures that you won't be bored for a moment.

Janneke, the owner, has really thought of everything. For instance, we were surprised with a personal message at the typewriter, there were fresh sunflowers and there was a water pistol above the bedroom to kindly ask the goose that starts crowing in the tree above the bedroom every morning to leave us alone.

In Dijkhuisje De Taanman you have everything you need. The kitchen has a large fridge and hob and all kitchen utensils. Janneke had prepared everything for us for a traditional Dutch breakfast, pancakes! We thoroughly enjoyed this the next morning from the terrace overlooking the water. There are also cupboards full of old records and a record player so that you can enjoy your stay in a nostalgic way.

Explore the surroundings from a sup - Quietly over water

In such a beautiful watery environment, a bit of water fun cannot be missing, of course. That is why we were delighted to be allowed to use Detour Amsterdam's inflatable SUPs. These came with an electric pump, waterproof bag and waterproof phone cases. The complete package is easy to take to another destination. For example, drive to Recreation Area Alkmaarder- and Uitgeestermeer if you are in the area.

We were so attached to the beautiful landscape around Dijkhuisje De Taanman that we decided to explore the area by SUP. The nice thing about supping is that you go silently over the water so you don't disturb nature. But of course, the best thing is to take a look in the backyard of the neighbours. What beautiful houses there are, wow!

Laag Holland is nostalgia pure - Visit to the Screen Mills

Besides the beautiful nostalgic villages such as De Rijp and the Eilandspolder nature reserve, it is also fun to take a look at the Schermer windmills. These mills are near Dijkhuisje De Taanman and were used 400 years ago to drain the Schermer. We ended our stay with a visit and thus enjoyed this nostalgic piece of the Netherlands even longer.

Honeymooners Femke and Yalou also discovered Laag Holland. They went on the Kijk Luister Dijk walk and learned all about the Markermeer dyke. Would you also like to stay in beautiful Laag Holland? Then be sure to check out Honeyguide's app. In it, you will find the most unique spots all over the Netherlands!

 

Love,
Anne-Floor

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Written by:

Anne-Floor

Anne-Floor van Nunen is editor-in-chief at Honeyguide and responsible for the content line of the platform. She creates and edits stories that encourage conscious discovery, with an eye for target groups and traveller motivations. She finds her inspiration mainly close to home, where she manages to capture the extraordinary in small, everyday places.

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