In the area

Once you enter the municipality of Kaag en Braassem, you find yourself in an oasis of calm. Many meadows, greenery and water, but also the charming villages welcome you here. Experience the area and find out what Kaag en Braassem has to offer!

Kaag en Braassem, the most beautiful lake area

Windmills and the water

In the wider environment there are a total of 20 windmills, most of which are workable. If the sails are turning, the miller is home and you can have a chat with the miller, who can tell you more about the mill. In addition, Kaag en Braassem is known for its many waterways. There are many water sports on the waters of the Braassemermeer, Kagerplassen and Wijde Aa.
There are delightful boat trips on which you can enjoy the peace and the environment, but you can also enjoy waterskiing, or other sporting activities. It's all there.

Just ask about the possibilities at the Tourist Informations Points.

Villages

The municipality of Kaag en Braassem covers an area of 72 km2, of which about 88% is land and 12% water and lakes.

The municipality consists of eleven villages:

Bilderdam, Hoogmade, Kaag, Leimuiden, Nieuwe Wetering, Oud Ade, Oude Wetering, Roelofarendsveen, Rijnsaterwoude, Rijpwetering and Woubrugge.

The area is centrally located between Schiphol Airport, Leiden and Alphen aan den Rijn and very accessible by car, public transportation, bicycle or by boat. For more information look at Accessibility.

Culture

Kaag en Braassem has a rich cultural life, with different societies and artist associations. Traditionally, a lot of music is played in Kaag en Braassem, which is also reflected in the number of festivals that are organised, usually during the summer. Besides music, other art forms are also to be found in Kaag en Braassem. There are several theatre groups as well as a number of museums and galleries with works by local painting and drawing talents in the region.

In the area

Leiden, the city of discoveries

During a visit to Kaag en Braassem you will also want to visit the city of Leiden. Leiden is about 15 to 20 km from Kaag en Braassem and is very easy to reach by public transport or car.

The City of Keys is the nickname of the city which refers to the city’s coat of arms. Leiden has the oldest university in the Netherlands. In addition, the city is known for its rich history and the old town with canals, heritage buildings and courtyards.

Leiden offers a great number of attractions, many of which are well worth a visit; such as the Pieterskerk, the Hooglands church, as well as the nine windmills that are in the city. The city has 35 hidden courtyards, 88 bridges and of course the many canals on which you can take a boat tour. There are also several dozen classic weaver's cottages. One of them is on display as a museum. There are also a large number of World War II memorials scattered throughout the city.

The Leidse Loper is a walk along 24 historic sites in the Leiden city centre. For more information, visit the Leiden Visitor Centre at Leiden Central Train Station.

Schiphol

Kaag en Braassem is located near Schiphol Airport. Schiphol is the largest airport in the Netherlands and a major airport in Europe. Once you arrive at the airport, it's about a 20-minute drive to Kaag en Braassem.

Nieuwkoop

Reeds and bird nesting

If you want to make a trip to a rural area, then Nieuwkoop is a good suggestion, especially the Nieuwkoop ponds, which lie in the Groene Hart. The Nieuwkoop ponds are largely a nature reserve and a popular attraction. The area is 1400 hectares and largely owned by the Vereniging Natuurmonumenten (Nature Reserves Society).

In addition to lakes and the often capricious waterways this region has a particularly large area of reed beds. The east of the area in particular presents a curiously meadow-like and open character. The reed is a living and breeding ground for many marsh birds. The increasingly rare black tern breeds here and in the smaller ponds there are sometimes nesting gulls. Hidden in the reeds are the rare bittern, and small birds like the reed warbler and Savi’s warbler breed. In winter, the area attracts large numbers of geese and many species of ducks and grebes.

In large trees there are some breeding colonies of one of the main fish-eaters of the area, the cormorant. (Purple) herons are also often seen in this area.

The area is designated as a special protection area under the Birds Directive of the European Union

Source: Natuuurmonumenten (Nieuwkoopse Plassen)

Het Groene hart

The Groene Hart is a relatively uncrowded peatland area situated in the Dutch Randstad. Kaag en Braassem is located in the Groene Hart and Nieuwkoop also has this honour. Some medium-sized cities such as Gouda, Alphen aan den Rijn and Woerden are also in the Groene Hart. The area has been designated a National Landscape. The Groene Hart lies in the middle of a conurbation, surrounded by the cities of Rotterdam, The Hague, Zoetermeer, Leiden, Haarlem, Amsterdam and Utrecht.

There is a network of recreational hiking, cycling and sailing routes present in the Groene Hart. The region includes tourist transfer points. Trails for longer distances through the area are the Groene Hartpad, one of the Dutch regional trails, and the Floris V-pad, part of a Grote Route trail. The Groene Hart is very important for the Dutch meadow birds. Endangered species such as the black-tailed godwit, lapwing and oystercatcher are prevalent here.

Source: Stichting Groene Hart