Cycle route Meadow Birds in the Wormer and Jisperveld
Purmerend, Spijkerboor, Wormer
Start cycling from Purmerend along the Kanaaldijk beside the Noordhollandsch Canal and you’ll quickly recognise the geometric layout of Reclaimed Land De Beemster on your right. This area, with its clear-cut division between water and land, is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Netherlands. On your left, you’ll also see a patchwork of water and land, though a bit less orderly. This is the Wormer and Jisperveld, the largest connected peat meadow area in Western Europe. Because it’s such a vast natural area, it’s super popular with meadow birds. In spring, hundreds of birds like the redshank, lapwing, oystercatcher and the black-tailed godwit arrive here every year. Did you know that the godwit is the national bird of the Netherlands? As much as 70% of the world’s godwit population comes to breed in Dutch meadows! The Schaalsmeerpolder in particular is a favourite breeding area and is often called the ‘nursery’ of the peat meadows. Even though you’ll see many birds flying above the grass, meadow birds are actually struggling. Every year their numbers go down. By creating special nature policies, Natuurmonumenten – together with local farmers – is working on the perfect environment for these birds. This means plenty of food like insects, varied grasslands, soft soil to dig in and, of course, lots of peace and quiet. Water management is also key: the ground can’t be too dry or too wet for meadow birds. The small windmills you see throughout the area help regulate the water levels very precisely. Want to know more about nature conservation and the Wormer and Jisperveld? Then stop at one of the points of interest along the way. Photo: ©Bonne Noorman, via Bureau Toerisme Laag Holland
| Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
|
Start: Zandweg 151, 1531 AM Wormerland | 31.4 KM | |
|
From
93
to
92
|
1064 M | 1.1 KM | |
| Head south on Veerdijk | 1.1 KM | ||
| You are now at section 92 | 0 M | ||
|
From
92
to
94
|
1518 M | 1.5 KM | |
| Head east on Veerdijk | 11 M | ||
| Turn left onto Nieuweweg | 89 M | ||
| Continue straight | 200 M | ||
| Enter Unieplein and take the 2nd exit onto Rigastraat | 47 M | ||
| Exit the roundabout onto Rigastraat | 54 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Bordwalserstraat | 144 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Rigastraat | 133 M | ||
| Continue onto Koetserstraat | 358 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 114 M | ||
| Turn right onto Zaandammerpad | 342 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Zaandammerpad | 26 M | ||
| You are now at section 94 | 0 M | ||
|
From
94
to
73
|
2316 M | 2.3 KM | |
| Head south on Engewormer | 636 M | ||
| Turn right onto Kalverringdijk | 1.7 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Kalverringdijk | 7 M | ||
| You are now at section 73 | 0 M | ||
|
From
73
to
50
|
2861 M | 2.9 KM | |
| Head east on Leeghwaterweg | 1.4 KM | ||
| Continue straight | 373 M | ||
| Turn right onto Westerdijk | 154 M | ||
| Turn left onto Zuiderweg | 298 M | ||
| Keep left onto Zuiderweg | 597 M | ||
| You are now at section 50 | 0 M | ||
|
From
50
to
33
|
6974 M | 7 KM | |
| Head northeast on Zuiderweg | 2.1 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Westerdwarsweg | 579 M | ||
| Turn left onto Achterdichting | 1.1 KM | ||
| Continue straight | 942 M | ||
| Turn left onto Wormerpad | 31 M | ||
| Turn right | 174 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 2.1 KM | ||
| You are now at section 33 | 0 M | ||
|
From
33
to
47
|
1752 M | 1.8 KM | |
| Head north | 499 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 84 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 109 M | ||
| Continue onto Oude Provincialeweg | 957 M | ||
| Turn left onto Verbindingsweg | 103 M | ||
| You are now at section 47 | 0 M | ||
|
From
47
to
44
|
4021 M | 4 KM | |
| Head west on Kanaaldijk | 4 KM | ||
| You are now at section 44 | 0 M | ||
|
From
44
to
59
|
4370 M | 4.4 KM | |
| Head west on Kanaaldijk | 4.3 KM | ||
| Make a slight right onto Starnmeerdijk | 23 M | ||
| You are now at section 59 | 0 M | ||
|
From
59
to
89
|
3668 M | 3.7 KM | |
| Head south on Starnmeerdijk | 23 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Starnmeerdijk | 3.6 KM | ||
| You are now at section 89 | 0 M | ||
|
From
89
to
93
|
2887 M | 2.9 KM | |
| Head southeast | 7 M | ||
| Take the ferry Voetveer Oostknollendam - Starnmeerdijk | 42 M | ||
| Continue straight | 7 M | ||
| Turn right onto Dorpsstraat | 270 M | ||
| Make a slight left to stay on Dorpsstraat | 675 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Wormerringdijk | 697 M | ||
| Turn right onto Poelweg | 8 M | ||
| Turn left onto Wormerringdijk | 1.2 KM | ||
| You are now at section 93 | 0 M |