The Oude Veer - Anna Paulowna

You stand here at the edge of the elongated waterline of the Oude Veer. What now seems a peaceful ribbon of reed and water, was in the Middle Ages a tidal channel; a waterway that found its origin in the Amsteldiep and moved freely through the land. Water management and dikes did not yet exist, the water chose its own path.

That old movement is still visible. Bends, creeks and wind-blown creek ridges tell where the water flowed centuries ago. Around it you find names like Boermanszwin, Kruiszwin and Razend Zwin, which remember the branches of this dynamic system. They form a rare pattern in a neatly parceled polder landscape.

The Oude Veer today has a high geological value. The water and the banks offer space to a multitude of flora and fauna. The lush vegetation forms a natural structure in the landscape and provides food, shelter and nesting opportunities to countless species.

The water is also widely used for recreation. In front of you you see the marina of Anna Paulowna, the scouting terrain and the fishing piers that stretch along the bank. Further on lies a small beach that in the summer months is busily visited by young and old, and is loved by residents and visitors. The Oude Veer is therefore a historic place where nature and recreation meet, with water still in the leading role.