Nieuwe Driemans, Droogmakerij and Rottemeren Loop

Expect a long, almost perfectly flat day (or a relaxed two-day outing) through classic South Holland “made-land”: big skies, ruler-straight ditches, reedbeds, lakeside paths, and a steady parade of water-management landmarks. At around 70 km / 43.5 mi with roughly 0 m / 0 ft of climbing, the challenge isn’t elevation—it’s time on feet, wind exposure, and keeping your pace steady on firm, often paved or compacted paths.

A practical start point that fits this landscape well is by Recreatiepark de Koornmolen, Tweemanspolder 6A, 2761 ED Zevenhuizen (Zuidplas), Netherlands—right on the Rottemeren system and easy to reach by road. From there, the loop naturally links the Rottemeren lakes and river corridors with the Droogmakerij (reclaimed polder) geometry and the Nieuwe Driemanspolder water-storage/nature area.

Getting to the start (public transport + car)

By car: Navigate to Recreatiepark de Koornmolen, Tweemanspolder 6A, 2761 ED Zevenhuizen. Parking is typically straightforward around the recreation park area, and it’s a logical “hub” for a big loop because you can finish where you started without logistics.

By public transport: The area is well-served by buses from nearby rail hubs (Rotterdam, Gouda, Zoetermeer). The simplest approach is: - Train to a major station such as Rotterdam Alexander, Gouda, or Zoetermeer (depending on where you’re coming from), - then bus/taxi onward toward Zevenhuizen / Rottemeren / Tweemanspolder. For exact stop names and the cleanest walking connection to the trailhead on the day you go, plot the start in HiiKER and cross-check with local transit routing.

What the terrain feels like (and why it’s “easy” but still big)

You’ll be on a mix of: - Wide multi-use paths (often asphalt or hard-packed gravel), - Narrower dike-top tracks beside canals and lakes, - Occasional short grassy sections that can be slick after rain.

Because this is lowland polder country, the “difficulty” comes from: - Wind (headwinds can feel like climbing), - Repetition (long straight lines can be mentally tiring), - Foot fatigue on firm surfaces over 70 km / 43.5 mi.

Plan for 10–14 hours moving time for most hikers, depending on breaks and pace. Many people will prefer splitting it into 2 days (for example ~35 km / 21.7 mi each).

Route flow and key segments (approximate distances)

0–18 km / 0–11 mi: Rottemeren shores and river scenery Starting near Tweemanspolder, you quickly get the Rottemeren character: water on one side, reeds and willows on the margins, and open views across lakes and channels. The paths here are popular with walkers, cyclists, and families—expect busier stretches near beaches, marinas, and cafés on fair-weather weekends.

Look out for: - Waterfowl: grebes, coots, moorhens, and plenty of geese; in migration periods you can see larger mixed flocks. - Reedbed edges: good for small birds and occasional raptors cruising the open fields.

18–40 km / 11–25 mi: Droogmakerij (reclaimed polder) lines and windmill country This is where the landscape becomes a lesson in Dutch engineering. A “droogmakerij” is land reclaimed by draining former peat lakes—many in this region were created between the 1600s and 1900s, leaving a very regular grid of ditches, roads, and long parcels. The geometry is not an accident: it’s the blueprint of drainage and land division.

You’ll notice: - Long, straight canals (“tochten”) and perpendicular roads, - Dike crests that stay just a little higher than surrounding fields, - Windmills and pumping infrastructure (historic and modern) that explain how this land stays walkable at all.

If your loop passes the well-known mill clusters north of Zevenhuizen, you’re in the orbit of the Molenviergang area—historic drainage mills built in the early 1700s that once worked in sequence to lift water step-by-step out of low polders.