In the 17th century, the Golden Age, successful Amsterdam merchants had estates built or remodeled along the Vecht River. These country houses are one of the reasons why the Vecht region is such a special area to sail our ships. The boat tour will take you from Muiden via Weesp and Nigtevegt to Vreeland.
The Muiderslot is a medieval castle at the mouth of the Vecht River. The moated castle has four round towers, with a large building with stepped gables within its walls. The castle is surrounded by a moat with drawbridge and ramparts. From the Muiderslot, sail toward the Great Sea Locks of Muiden. We let ourselves bolt, watched by visitors to the terrace of the famous café Ome Ko. Before and after the lock are classic sailing ships, which set out from home port Muiden for sailing trips on the IJsselmeer and Wadden Sea.
As we sail out of Muiden we come across Fort H on port side, once part of the Muiden fortress and now a popular restaurant with a marina. Fort H is also a good boarding point if you wish to depart from Muiden in one of our salon boats.
In Weesp we pass the tower fort on the Ossenmarkt and, a few kilometers further on the beautiful wide meandering Vecht, Fort Uitermeer. Both forts were part of the Dutch Waterline and later the Defense Line of Amsterdam. Fort Uitermeer protected the railroad line from Amersfoort to Amsterdam and the road from Hilversum to Weesp.
We continued sailing in the direction of Nigtevecht. After a few kilometers you will see on the port side the lock to the Spiegelplas, a recreational lake where boating and swimming are common, especially in summer. A little further on is Zwaanwijck, a country house built in the neo-Renaissance style. The house is surrounded by a beautiful garden with many different types of trees. At the southernmost point is a tea dome.
The next town, Nigtevecht, was first mentioned in 1281. The village was built in a bend of the Vecht on an old river dune. We continued sailing toward Vreeland and passed cheese farm de Willigen. A great stop for a piece of cheese or a nice ice cream. The farm also offers meeting space and overnight accommodations.
At Vreeland, the Vecht used to make a wide bend around the village. The river bend was cut through, making the Vecht straight and narrow here. Vreeland is surrounded by several lakes and several hiking and biking trails run through the village. In Vreeland you will find restaurant De Nederlanden, a restaurant of name and quality. This is where we regularly pick up or disembark our guests.
Rederij Belle
Naarderstraat 5-7
1389 XR Muiden
Phone: 0294 – 261433
Fax: 0294-262698
E-mail: info@rederijbelle.nl
