Wandelnetwerk Noord-Holland

A railway line between Amsterdam and the port of Den Helder became necessary in the second half of the 19th century. That’s why Alkmaar got a railway line to Den Helder in 1865 and later to Haarlem. At that time, the area around the station was just outside the city among the fields and farmland. Travellers could linger in the brand-new station building. A marquee installed at the back served as a platform roof and the station master lived upstairs.

• The Alkmaar Tour (orange) runs partly over the stronghold built in 1573. Over the years, the stronghold has become a park with some beautiful, monumental trees such as the one found in the Munnikenbolwerk, which is the thickest Dutch Elm in the Netherlands. You’ll also walk past the listed almshouse Hofje van Paling en Van Foreest on Zevenhuizen. The stepped gable was modernised in 1860 but the family crest above the entrance was retained. Almshouses (called hofjes in Dutch) were often founded by wealthy individuals to provide shelter for the elderly and to perpetuate the founder's name.

• The Bergermeer Route (green) takes you from the station to the Bergermeer polder and along the Loterijlanden nature reserve. These hayfields and meadows are very wet due to their low elevation. They used to be unpopular with farmers and were distributed annually by lottery. The grassland is home to many flowers, including marsh marigold and ragged robin. It's also an excellent nesting area for meadow birds.