Surroundings
Discover the villages and polders of rural Alkmaar. Read all about the surrounding area of Alkmaar and what to do.
Discover the villages and polders of rural Alkmaar. Read all about the surrounding area of Alkmaar and what to do.
De Rijp Is located less than 10 kilometres from Alkmaar and considered one of the most beautiful villages in the Netherlands. Shop fronts, canals, shops and restaurants. Your camera will be working overtime. Take a walk or visit a museum. In the Houten Huis (wooden house), where the history of whalers comes to life.
Just like De Rijp, Graft has a gorgeous and extremely photogenic town hall. Opposite, is the smallest shop in the Netherlands, where they still sell old-fashioned sweets and treats.
The ‘Schermer’, which was drained in the 17th century, is Holland at its best. Especially in the area of Schermerhorn, there are plenty of windmills. At the Museum Windmill, you can view one from the inside. You can visit the smallest house of Schermerhorn and see how people lived back in the days. You can find field of tulips everywhere from april.
Fancy a day on the water? You can rent a canoe or a small boat De Rijp or Driehuizen and discover the pretty nature reserve Eilandspolder. This feels like world’s away from the bustling town.
You can rent a boat here:
De Vriendschap in Driehuizen
Het Ouweland in De Rijp
De Gouw in De Rijp
Do you want to combine your city trip with a beach holiday? That's possible in Alkmaar!
Egmond aan Zee and Bergen aan Zee are only 10 kilometres away from the centre of Alkmaar. You can easily take the bus from Alkmaar Central station to the beach or you can rent a bike and start a lovely bike ride to the coast.
A day trip to Amsterdam? From Alkmaar it's easy to reach Amsterdam by train. By train, it only takes you 34 minutes! If you're staying in Amsterdam, visiting Alkmaar will be one of the best ideas you'll make during your stay.
Discover all the various gems that the outlying areas of Alkmaar has to offer by bike. You can rent a bike at: