Johans Kayak Site   www.kanoroutes.nl

Bodegraven
CONTENT

Round trip of 20.5 km.

5 portages and a passage throught the locks of Bodegraven.
You need to buy a permit for the Reeuwijkse Plassen (€7,50 week permit).

Kayak rentals:

Sup en Watershop Verlengde Breevaart 3, 2811 LR Reeuwijk, tel.: 0182235116.
Entrance passed the reception of Landal De Reeuwijkse Plassen.

To the starting point at the boat-ramp opposite hectometer pole 44.0.

At hectometer pole 44.0 along the N459.

From the N11 Alpen aan de Rijn

Exit the N11 at exit 11 Bodegraven Centrum. Follow the N459 around Bodegraven in the direction Woerden and keep going straight on at the roundabouts. When the road is next to the Oude Rijn there is one more roundabout. From here it is 1.6 km. to the starting point. There is no sign along the road where the boat-ramp is.

From the A12 Gouda

Take exit 12 Reeuwijk and follow the signs towards Bodegraven. At traffic lights you turn right in the direction Nieuwerbrug. You keep going straight on. After the bridge you turn right at the roundabout in the direction Woerden. From here it is 1.6 km. to the starting point. There is no sign along the road where the boat-ramp is.

From the A12 Utrecht.

Take exit 12A and then exit 12 and follow the signs towards Bodegraven. At traffic lights you turn right in the direction Nieuwerbrug. You keep going straight on. After the bridge you turn right at the roundabout in the direction Woerden. From here it is 1.6 km. to the starting point. There is no sign along the road where the boat-ramp is.

Round trip of 20.5 km.

You can launch the kayak at the boat-ramp, but there is no kayak pier. A little further (hectometer pole 44.1) there is a small inlet to a pumping station. There is a low side where you can easily can get in.
From the starting point you cross the Oude Rijn and go under the bridge on the Enkele Wiericke. You pass the fortress Wierickerschans. There is a kayak pier with a watch-tower, but it's not allowed to go to the side here. After 2 km. you pass under highway A12. The canal makes a bend to the left and you pass a watchtower. There is a kayak pier and a picnic table. From here it is 0.9 km. to the kayak pier where you can portage across the Prinsendijk to the Oukoopse Polder. From here signs indicate how to navigate to the Reeuwijkse Plassen. It is strange that there are no signs for travelling this route in the opposite direction. When you come at the lake Nieuwenbroek you follow the right side and go around a small island. The entrance to the canal that leads to the next lake Gravekoop is a bit hidden, but you find it just before a big house with a thatched roof. You turn left and follow the left side. You enter the canal and turn left. At the bridge there is a kayak pier with a picnic table, a free drinkwater tap and a primitive public toilet. Ater the bridge you come at a small lake named Groot Vogelenzang. You turn left and enter the canal on the opposite side. You turn right and just before a low bridge right again. You cross the large lake 's-Gravenbroek in the direction Reeuwijk. Before you reach the opposite side you enter the canal to the right. There is a brown bridge. Then you turn left and go under a number of low bridges. The canal makes a bend to the right and then you turn left. At the next T-junction there is a fountain and you see the former town-hall. You turn right on the canal Breevaart and you pass Reeuwijk. At the end of the canal you turn left and follow the canal Verlengde Breevaart along highway A12. After a portage point with kayak piers you follow the bend to the left. You pass through a long culvert under highway A12. Then you pass a Mc Donalds restaurant. There is a kayak pier. You go straight on and follow the canal with bends and low bridges. One bridge is too low to go under so you need to portage here. There are kayak piers. After a sharp bend to the left the canal becoms straight. Then you turn left on the Vliet. In the past there were locks, but they no longer exist. You need to portage at a pumping station. There are good kayak piers. You continue passed the houses and turn right on the Oude Rijn. You pass some old warehouses. At the bridge there are locks. There is an operator during opening hours and you can sail to the lock. When he sees you he opens de lock door and you get a green light. You can pass the lock for free. You continue on the Oude Rijn and pass the former factory Phoenix. From the locks it is 2.8 km. back to the starting point.

GPS boatramp Noordzijde (N458): N 52.0841 E 4.7845.

Downloadable GPX track of 20.5 km.: Bodegraven.

Turn right under the bridge to the Enkele Wiericke.

Away from the highway A12 the canal is an oasis of silence.

Watchtower Wierickewachter with cormorants. There is a kayak pier and a picnic table.

View from the watchtower along the Enkele Wiericke.

The mill Oukoopse molen just passed the portage point.

Portage point across the Prinsendijk.

Portage point in the Oukoopse Polder to the Reeuwijkse Plassen.
Cross the bridge and continue on the canal ahead towards the trees.

Bridge between the lakes Gravekoop and Groot Vogelenzang.
There is a public toilet, a picnic table and a free drinkwater tap.

The lake 's-Gravenbroek.

Reeuwijk.

The former townhall of Reeuwijk.

Verlengde Breevaart along the noisy A12.

Oud Bodegraven.

At the portage point in the Oud Bodegraafse Wetering.

The Vliet in Bodegraven.

Bodegraven.

Bodegraven.

The former oil mill Phoenix (1915).
From 1947 the shampoo factory Andrélon was located here.
Andrélon has been taken over by Unilever and production was moved elsewhere.
Now there are apartments in the building.

Map

A map (PDF-file) can be downloaded here.
On this site you can find more details at the the pages Reeuwijk and Reeuwijkse Plassen.

Locks Bodegraven

Tel.: 0172-650684
For current opening hours please visit: waterkaart.net.
Passage through the locks is free. Portage is not possible here.

Walking route

You can also walk this route. You walk along the Oude Rijn, and on the dike along the Enkele Wiericke. This is part of the Limes-path, that follows the former border of the Roman Empire. At the watch-tower you turn right on the bike-road towards Reeuwijk. At the end of the Breevaart you pass under the A12 and follow the bike-road behind the highway.

Holland Waterline

The polder between the Enkele Wiericke and the Dubbele Wiericke was part of the Holland Waterline. It was the narrowest part of the line that was supposed to protect Holland from invaders.