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Distance: 39 kilometres
Signs: Hexagonal signs (ANWB)
Starting points include Edam, Volendam, Monnickendam, Marken and Purmerend
In the 16th and 17th Centuries, trade and fisheries flourished in the Waterland region. The small towns on the Zuiderzee did such good trade that the sea on which they lay was dubbed the Goudzee (the ‘Golden Sea’). Later, the name became bastardised to ‘Gouwzee’. Prosperity fell back sharply in the 18th Century, through competition from Amsterdam. Much of the glorious past has been preserved in Edam and Monnickendam.
In the 20th Century, the region’s 'gold' lies in its outstanding natural beauty. The Gouwzee is a shallow part of the Markermeer, with excellent water quality and good underwater vegetation. This makes it suitable as a breeding ground for fish. The area is also attractive to birds. Wild swans and duck species come for the knot-grass. In winter, in particular, there are many widgeons, scaups, tufted ducks and pochards. In the summer, this is a wild area for the greylag goose and the rare red-crested pochard.
Ask at the Reception Desk for more information.
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