Nieuwersluis: Fort, Locks and Country Estates

If you choose a hotel stay based on the character of your destination, Nieuwersluis can be explored through two themes: the history of the fort and the waterline, and the country estates and landscaped parks along the Vecht. There is also a hop-on, hop-off boat service for cyclists and walkers. Nieuwersluis is designated as a protected town and village conservation area.

Fort, Waterline and Locks

In 1880, the round brick tower fort Fort Nieuwersluis was expanded with a large brick barracks and four coach houses with cellars. The Damsluis was built earlier, in 1871: the Corps of Engineers constructed it as part of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie and in connection with the fort. Because of its cultural and architectural-historical value, it is considered a well-preserved example of a Damsluis from that year within the waterline.

Different dates also apply to different locks. The first lock in the Nieuwe Wetering at Nieuwersluis was built in 1634. A replacement lock built at Nieuwersluis in 1880 is partly preserved, but has not been in use since 1963. The year 1880 also marks the expansion of the fort—not the construction of the Damsluis.

The fort also has a natural history aspect: its tower fort serves as a wintering site for bats, including the rare whiskered bat. In Nieuwersluis, military architecture, water engineering and wildlife therefore stand alongside one another as distinct themes.

Country Estates and Landscaped Parks

Sterreschans, together with the adjoining historic country estates of Overholland and Rupelmonde, forms a row along the Vecht. It is known as the “Mennistenhemel”; the estates’ owners were Mennonites. The name thus links the history of the landscape with that of its former owners.

At Sterreschans, the park around the house and the outer park together form a relatively well-preserved example of an early 19th-century landscape-style park. The outer park is designed as a “ferme ornée” and is one of the few surviving examples of this type in the Netherlands. The historic pattern of paths also continues between the park and the outer park, making the two parts a compositional and stylistic whole.

Another precise date can be found on the tea pavilion at VreedenHoff in Nieuwersluis. It was built in 1776; the year is inscribed on a stone set into the wall. Together with the dates associated with the fort, Damsluis and locks, this detail shows how many different building histories can be distinguished in the village.

Getting Around by Fietsboot

The Fietsboot on the Vecht connects Nieuwersluis and Maarssen with a hop-on, hop-off boat service for cyclists and walkers. Its four stops are in the old villages of Nieuwersluis, Breukelen and Maarssen, with Maarssen served twice. This service adds another way to plan a cycling or walking trip to the area’s historic attractions.

The landing stages are near cycle route junctions 02, 84, 87 and 46. You can take these numbers into account when checking your route. Check the current operating days and timetable before making plans. This will help you decide whether the Fietsboot suits your plans, while the fort, locks and country estates offer a distinct focus for choosing your trip.

Discover more destinations: Loenen aan de Vecht, Vreeland.

For the broader travel overview: Loenen.