Bleiswijk Between Nature and Village History

North of Bleiswijk, the Bleiswijkse Fles forms a green link between Zoetermeer and the Rottemeren. At the Rottemeren, rugged hills, park-like woodlands, nature, plenty of space and plenty of water come together; the number of bird species there is growing. The Rottemeren are also among the excursion destinations in Bleiswijk. Landscapes and the history of the village thus offer different facets of a trip. If you are looking for a hotel in Bleiswijk, you can first consider whether nature and relaxation or the historic landmarks in the village should take centre stage during your stay.

Nature and Relaxation Around Bleiswijk

Bleiswijkse Zoom lies on the eastern side of Bleiswijk. It is a recreational area and day-camping site in the Rottemeren, with a beach, a place to swim and a sunbathing lawn. The Zoom also has walking and cycling paths. The wet nature trail “Laarzenpad” is in the southern section. These features offer different ways to enjoy the area: the beach, swimming and sunbathing lawn are ideal for spending time by the water, while the walking and cycling paths focus on getting active. The Laarzenpad adds a wet nature trail to the area. When planning your trip, you can therefore choose between different aspects of this recreational area.

The Bleiswijkse Fles is also part of the landscape around the village. The “Rondje Bleiswijkse Zoom” cycling route takes in both Bleiswijkse Zoom and Bleiswijkse Fles. The route therefore covers not only the recreational area on Bleiswijk’s eastern side, but also the green link north of the village. This distinction is useful when planning: the Zoom offers a beach, swimming, a sunbathing lawn and paths, while the Fles is a green landscape linking Zoetermeer and the Rottemeren.

Historic Landmarks in the Village

Bleiswijk’s old village centre is formed by Dorpsstraat, Hoekeindseweg, Kerkstraat and Hoefweg. At Dorpsstraat 5 stand protected pleached lime trees that are almost 200 years old and once stood in front of the “Snippenrust” estate. Another historic landmark is the “Hoop Vleit de Landman” farm, dating from the early 19th century. It stands at the intersection of Hoekeindseweg and the later-built Lijsterlaan. The pleached lime trees and the farm point to different aspects of the village’s history: one is associated with an estate, the other with the history of farming.

The “Nederlands Hervormde Kerk” is a single-nave village church dating from the first half of the 16th century. Its chancel has a five-sided end. Notable furnishings include an oak pulpit from 1622 and an oak baptismal screen. “Single-nave” describes the church’s basic layout; the shape of the chancel and the historic furnishings add further architectural details. The historic “Dorpswandeling Bleiswijk” village walk is another offering related to local history. It was put together by the Oudheidkundige Vereniging en Museum Bleiswijk.

Water engineering and milling history reveal further facets of the past. Bleiswijkse Verlaat is a lock dating from around 1774 that was fully restored in 2015. The surviving remains of the octagonal watermill No. 1 of the “A” drainage canal in the Bleiswijkse droogmakerij date from 1772; the mill was partly demolished in 1915. The remains are fitted with an inclined paddle wheel. Alongside its date, the later restoration shapes the story of the lock; for the mill remains, the year they were built and their partial demolition are important milestones.

Another historic structure is the 18-metre-high horticultural chimney in Bleiswijk. It was built in 1952 from specially fired red radial bricks. Its construction adds a 20th-century building to the older examples of the church, lock and mill. Taken together, the dates span from the first half of the 16th century through 1772 and around 1774 to 1952; the lock’s restoration in 2015 should be distinguished from these as a later preservation measure.

For the broader travel overview: Lansingerland.