Starting point Groeneweg

In 1564, the Count of Egmond and the Lord of Bergen decided to drain Lakes Bergermeer and Egmondermeer using polder windmills. Today, the walks from this starting point take you past the finest spots in the Bergermeerpolder.

• The Kranenburg Route (red) leads from the Bergermeerpolder to the heart of Bergen, a charming, lively village where creativity and nature meet. Museum Kranenburg lies on the route and tells the story of this artists’ village.

• The Bergermeer Route (green) passes through the Bergermeerpolder and the Loterijlanden. Because of their low-lying position, these hay meadows and pastures are wet. They used to be unpopular with farmers and were allocated annually by lottery. Marsh marigolds and ragged robin grow in the flower-rich grassland, which is also an excellent breeding area for meadow birds. The route also passes a WWII military airfield. On the south-eastern side of the airfield, a pumping station is concealed in the dyke, invisible from the air.

• The Air Watchers Route (blue) takes you past, among other things, a WWII military airfield and several surrounding bunkers. A pumping station is well concealed in the dyke on the airfield’s south-eastern side, so that it cannot be seen from the air. The route also passes the Philistine Mill. Part of the route runs through a meadow-bird area, which is closed during the breeding season (15 March–1 July).