top of page
Search

OerToer | Thursday, May 14, 2026

  • myrthe541
  • May 7
  • 2 min read

Cycling, hiking, tour guides who tell stories with such enthusiasm that you suddenly stop voluntarily in front of an old dike as if it were a Netflix documentary šŸ˜„


During the OerToer tour, you'll discover the Oer-IJ landscape around Castricum, Uitgeest, and Heemskerk. Not with a conventional guidebook and app, but together with incredibly dedicated volunteers who will accompany you and tell you stories about old waterways, vanished castles, and places you would normally just cycle past without suspecting what once happened there.


And that's exactly what makes it so entertaining.


You are out and about, and before you know it, you are suddenly listening attentively to someone who is speaking with great enthusiasm about a piece of land where, thousands of years ago, water literally flowed from the Rhine.


Practical information

Date: Thursday, May 14, 2026 (Ascension Day)

Starting point: Huis van Hilde


Hiking trails:

  • 6 km

  • 10 km

  • 14 km

  • 20 km


Bicycle puzzle tour:

  • approximately 35 km


The choice is yours:

  • Hiking with a guide

  • go independently

  • a bicycle scavenger hunt


The hiking trails begin at Huis van Hilde. The bike tour can start here:

  • Haus Hilde

  • or Heritage Park De Hoop.


Registration is possible until May 11, 2026.


šŸ‘‰ Looking for more tips on things to do in the area during your stay? Then check out our events calendar: https://www.boutiquestay.nl/uitagenda


What is the OerToer?

The OerToer revolves around the ancient landscape of Oer-IJ. That might sound a bit like you need to go back to school, but trust us: it's not nearly as bad as that šŸ˜„

Along the way you pass old dikes, bunkers, polders, hidden hiking trails and places where guides tell stories you would normally never think about.

And these aren't just any guidebooks.

These are the kind of volunteers who are so enthusiastic about the area that you automatically get drawn into their story.

Before you know it, you're listening very seriously to an explanation about an Iron Age waterway, even though you just wanted to go for a bike ride šŸ˜„


In and around the museum

At Huis van Hilde, there are additional activities throughout the day.

Hold:

  • ancient craftsmanship

  • Live music

  • Storyteller

  • demonstrations

  • Activities for children

  • and guided tours of the museum

Afterwards, you can also visit the museum.


5 things you might not know

  • The Oer-IJ was actually once a tributary of the Rhine. Yes, really! šŸ˜³

  • Some tour guides can speak with such enthusiasm that one spontaneously becomes interested in medieval waterworks.

  • Chances are good that you will come across places along the way that you would normally have cycled past a hundred times without ever stopping.

  • This is typically one of those days when you think, "We'll just go for a short walk," and then arrive back home hours later.

  • There are actually people who, out of pure interest, know everything about dikes, peat, waterways and old trade routes ā€“ and secretly, it's quite contagious šŸ˜„


From Boutique Stay

This is exactly the kind of activity where you think you're "just doing something active"... and in the end you simply enjoy being outdoors and learning all sorts of things along the way, without it feeling like learning šŸ˜„

bottom of page