De Rijp: Village History, Culture and Nature

De Rijp is designated as a protected village townscape. The town hall, church and museum shed light on different aspects of the area’s history: water management and architecture, village life, seafaring and Schermereiland. Cultural events and activities in the Eilandspolder complement these historical themes. This gives you several clearly distinct points of interest to consider when planning your trip.

Town Hall and Maritime History

Raadhuis De Rijp was designed in 1630 by water management engineer Jan Adriaanzn Leeghwater in the Dutch Renaissance style. The 17th-century town hall bears a coat of arms featuring two crowned herrings. The town hall thus brings together the design of a water management engineer and a maritime motif. Herring fishing and seafaring are also among the subjects covered at the In ’t Houten Huis Museum.

Church, Windows and Remembrance

The Grote Kerk De Rijp features 26 stained-glass windows; most date from the 17th century and together tell the story of the village. The historic organ is also in the Grote Kerk: Bätz & Co. (Witte) built it in 1854. Next to the church stands a statue created by Elly Baltus in memory of Weltevree, known in Korea as “Pak Yŏn Sang.” The windows tell the village’s story, the organ’s year of construction provides a specific historical reference, and the statue commemorates a named individual.

Museum and Cultural Program

The In ’t Houten Huis Museum explores herring fishing, whaling and seafaring through nautical charts, ships’ logs and prints. It also presents the history of Schermereiland and its seafaring residents. The museum is housed in a wooden building with a timber structure dating from the 18th century. The exhibition topics and the building thus offer two distinct perspectives: the residents’ maritime history and the house’s historic construction.

De Groene Zwaan is a former Lutheran church in De Rijp and has been used as a cultural center since the 1960s. Volunteers regularly organize concerts, cabaret, a literary café, clothing markets and film cafés there for a broad audience. The program combines stage events with literature, markets and film; individual events vary. If you would like to attend an event during your stay, check the dates in advance.

Village Route and Eilandspolder

The 18-kilometer cycling route “The best village in the Netherlands and more” runs through De Rijp and invites you to take a walk around the village. Along the way, it passes Dutch gabled houses, the church with its stained-glass windows and the town hall with its weighing house. Combining the route with a walk highlights both the length of the cycling route and the option of exploring part of the village on foot.

The Eilandspolder surrounding De Rijp is a protected nature area. Visitors can go boating, stand-up paddleboarding or canoeing there, and watch birds along the way. Boerderij Schermereijlandt at Oostdijkje 7 in De Rijp rents electric whisper boats for up to four people. The business is also committed to conserving and restoring the Natura 2000 Eilandspolder area on Schermereiland. If you are planning to rent a boat, check the operating details in advance.

Getting Your Bearings

The VVV visitor center is on the ground floor of the former weighing area in the Raadhuis. The VVV welcomes visitors and provides information. Information and guided tours of the village and Land van Leeghwater are also available. For your planning, the tours can connect with the area’s historical themes; other points of interest range from its buildings and museum to cultural events and nature activities.

Discover more destinations: West Graftdijk, Graft

Go to the main travel overview: Graft-De Rijp.