Haarlem, Aalsmeer, Buitenkaag

With this cycling route you will follow the Ring canal of the Haarlemmermeer polder, which is over 60 kilometers long. Already in the 17th century, plans were made by Jan Adriaanszoon Leeghwater (what's in a name...) for the reclamation of the Haarlemmermeer, then also called the Waterwolf. But Haarlem earned heavily from shipping and Leiden from fishing, so many people were quite opposed to those plans. Only when Amsterdam and Leiden twice had to deal with the predatory Waterwolf due to high water storms, was it decided by Royal Decree in 1837 to reclaim the Haarlemmermeer. This was done by steam pumping stations, a unique in the era of windmills.

Add the Cruquius Museum to your cycling route and discover the largest steam engine in the world: Pumping Station De Cruquius, one of the three steam pumping stations used to pump the Haarlemmermeer dry between 1849 and 1852. Awarded "Monument of the Year" in 2020, Museum Stoomgemaal Halfweg's 1852 building alone is a picture to behold. In addition to the pumping stations, mills still adorn the horizon in various places.

The Historical Garden takes you back in time and portrays the rich history of Aalsmeer from around 1700 to 1940. Get off your bike at Landgoed Groenendaal and Bosbeek, which used to be called Rustmeer because of its view of the Haarlemmermeer. A little further on, grab Kunstfort Vijfhuizen right away!

Admire more Dutch history in the center of Haarlem, for example while visiting the oldest museum in the Netherlands: the Teylers Museum. In short, wonderful historic Haarlemmermeer!