Guided hike to Westerhout – between strawberries and steel | Sunday, May 17, July 19 and September 20, 2026

How does a landscape of fertile fields and estates transform into an area where steel and industry dominate the landscape?

The Westerhout hike takes you through a part of Kennemerland whose character has changed dramatically within just one century.

The Oer-IJ Foundation is organizing this cultural-historical walk in cooperation with the Kennemerland Museum. The walk leads through and around the Westerhout estate, an area once known for its beauty, fertile soils, and country estates, and later shaped by the construction of the North Sea Canal and the growth of industry.

What makes this walk so special?

The walk begins with a short introduction in the library of the Kennemerland Museum. Afterwards, you will set off on the tour with a guide. Along the way you will discover:

• how this landscape in the Oer-IJ delta came to be

• why wealthy Amsterdammers built country estates here in the 17th century

• how agriculture, hunting and forestry shaped the area

• which visible traces of this past are still present in the landscape

• and how the construction of the North Sea Canal and subsequent industrialization changed everything

  
  

The walk shows how nature, economy and culture are constantly intertwined here.

Practical information

• Dates: Sunday, May 17, July 19 and September 20, 2026

• Start: 1:00 PM

• Starting point: Museum Kennemerland, Westerhoutplein 1, Beverwijk

• Duration: slightly more than one and a half hours

• Distance: approx. 2 km

• Cost: €5 per person

• Maximum number of participants: 15

• Route: The route follows the paths in and around the Westerhout estate and is easily accessible.

• Before and after your walk, you can visit the Kennemerland Museum. Admission costs €6; museum card holders have free entry.

• Registration and current information can be found on the Stichting Oer-IJ website:

• https://www.oerij.eu/bewoners-en-bezoekers/ontdek-het-gebied/op-pad-met-een-gids/ommetje-westerhout/

Five fun facts about Ommetje Westerhout

1. This was once one of the most beautiful landscapes in Kennemerland.

   In the 17th and 18th centuries, this area was praised by poets and painters. Country estates, avenues, and panoramic views made Westerhout a place where people enjoyed themselves – and didn't work.

2. Where you are walking now, there were once fields full of strawberries and vegetables.

   The soil here was so fertile that horticulture flourished. However, this gentle agricultural landscape disappeared in a surprisingly short time with the advance of industry and infrastructure.

3. The North Sea Canal literally divided the landscape in two.

   The construction of the canal changed not only the map, but also life here. What had been peaceful and green for centuries became part of an industrial system.

4. Many lines in the landscape are older than they appear.

   Paths, sightlines, and changes in elevation often follow structures that have existed for centuries. While walking, you learn to recognize them – and then you see them everywhere.

5. Here, one moves between two worlds simultaneously.

   In some places, past and present collide at a glance: country estates and industrial areas, green spaces and steel structures. This contrast distinguishes this walk from others.

This event is part of the Uitgeest events calendar. You can find the full events calendar at https://www.boutiquestay.nl/uitagenda