A walk through forgotten estates, fertile lands, and industrial transformation—that's Ommetje Westerhout . In collaboration with the Kennemerland Museum, the Stichting Oer-IJ is organizing a special cultural-historical walk on three Sundays in 2025 through a landscape that has changed completely in a century.
Where the nobility once grew vegetables and fruit and artists sang the praises of the landscape, steel factories now rise above the fields. On this walk, you'll discover how this part of Kennemerland developed from an idyllic landscape into an industrial area.
From a wealthy country estate to heavy industry
In the 17th century, wealthy Amsterdammers settled in this region between dunes and peat, in what was then the Oer-IJ delta. The soil was fertile and ideal for agriculture. Estates like Westerhout flourished, hunting grounds extended into the dunes, and life was good.
But with the construction of the North Sea Canal and later with the rise of industry, the landscape changed dramatically. At Ommetje Westerhout, you can walk in the footsteps of the past and see with your own eyes how humans and nature continually influence each other.
Dates and practical information
Sunday, May 18, August 17 and October 19, 2025
Start: 1:00 PM
Starting point: Museum Kennemerland, Westerhoutplein 1, Beverwijk
Duration: approx. 1.5 hours
Distance: ± 2 km
Cost: 5 € per person
Registration required: via info@oerij.eu (max. 15 participants)
The tour begins with a short introduction in the museum library. The route is easy and leads through and around the Westerhout estate.
Feel free to combine your walk with a visit to the Kennemerland Museum! Admission is €6, and admission is free with the museum card.
Curious about the history of the landscape between strawberries and steel? Stroll along and be amazed by the complexity of the surroundings, where present and past collide.
Further information: www.oerij.eu