Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the city to explore when visiting the Overleekerhoeve. Due to the rural setting of the farm you could almost forget that you are staying in Amsterdam’s backyard! Our location is at a 15 km distance away from the capital where the Rijksmuseum and the Anne Frank House are the top attractions. Amsterdam Central station is a 20 minute coach ride away from our farm.

A frequent coach connection lets you enjoy the bustle of the city and will bring you home safely to the peace and quiet of the Overleek countryside from early in the morning until late at night; a definite plus in Waterland.

Towns and villages

In the immediate vicinity you can find some picturesque, cultural-historic villages and towns. Romantic Broek in Waterland, with a rich Dutch East India Company (VOC) history, is only 7 km away. Only 5 km away is the former trading town Monnickendam where you enjoy a meal near the picturesque inner harbour. Both towns can be easily reached by bicycle since they are not far away from our farm. Also worth a visit is the small town Edam (9 km).

Tourist Information offers a tour with guide in many of the towns and villages. And from Broek en Waterland you can enjoy the Waterland area on a company-bicycle which seats 10-18 people. Our guide provides information on the area while taking the company-bicycle tour.

Tourist attractions

The former island Marken, with its typical green, wooden houses (some of these are dwellings on stilts) and knolls, and fishing village Volendam, with its famous harbour called ‘De Dijk”, are very touristic and almost famous. These villages are connected by a ferry and this makes them ideal to visit when you are touring the area on a bicycle. Both Volendam and Marken are located 9 km away from the Overleekerhoeve.

When interested in visiting the typical atmosphere of historic Holland we recommend you also visit the Zaanse Schans (25 km) and the Zuiderzeemuseum in Enkhuizen (45 km).

Farm activities

There is plenty to see and do at the Overleekerhoeve, so if you want to see the animals you do not have to sit in front of the panoramic window in the living room all day to enjoy them! The property houses cows and calves, sheep and lambs, pony’s, ducks and chickens. You can brush the pony’s, and in the spring you can see the small lambs playing in the small pasture.

You can also visit the cows around milking time to watch how this process is undertaken on the farm. Interested guests can always come to us with questions about farm life at the Overleekerhoeve. We will be happy to answer all your questions. For the children we have toys around the property to enjoy. Being bored is simply not possible!

The Waterland area lends itself perfectly for hiking and cycle excursions. Via the many bicycle paths you can determine for your own the direction and length of your outing. One of the special routes through the green peatland area is the Aeën and Dieën route. This route twists and winds past pastures filled with colourful flowers, wavy fringes of reeds, numerous small lakes, and typical Waterland style houses and bridges.

More inspiration
Looking for more activities, events, sights worth seeing, and trails to hike and cycle in the immediate vicinity of our farm? Through the website of the local Tourist Information you can ask for any additional information. Tourist Information offices can be found in Monnickendam, Marken, Edam en Volendam.

Hiking

For hikers there are beaten and unbeaten tracks to choose. Exceptionally beautiful is the Badkuiproute (Bathtub-route); a round-about hike through the polder, created after the reclamation of the Noordmeer. The polder is surrounded by a high grass-dike and, therefore, asks for a comparison to a bathtub. The area is part grazing pasture and part nature reserve. Only the birds and the wind will interrupt the silence and make a splendid hike for observation and enjoyment. The area is not accessible during the nesting season from March 15 until June 15. The Bathtub-route can be easily linked to the Hekkenroute (Fences-route) and passes our farm.

On the water excursions

Exploration of the countryside starts at our, furnished with a terrace, 25 m long landing. We have our own pedal boats available for guests to use. Theetuin Overleek, a bit further up the country road, is the place to charter wooden silent stalker boats and canoes, and enjoy a wonderful lunch or a cup of coffee.

Cow boats, flat wooden boats typical for the Waterland area, are the ideal choice when with a group. When you charter a cow boat you will be picked up for a boat ride at our own landing.