Kuinderbos

The Kuinderbos is the largest and oldest forest in the Noordoostpolder. The forest is home to a host of special plants, mushrooms, butterflies, birds of prey and predators, including the tree marten. In the nearby village you will also find the Kuinderplas. With a bit of luck you will still find some bellies from the Zuiderzee among the trees, since the area was drained in the 1940s.

During your visit to the Kuinderbos there are three places of interest that you must have visited: the Kuinre Castle, the Old Port of Kuinre and the Meetstoel.

The Castle of Kuinre
In the Middle Ages, the Kuinre Castle was used for raids on the Zuiderzee and the notorious lords of the castle inspected shipping to the Hanseatic cities.

Old port of Kuinre
In the Middle Ages, the village of Kuinre was a bustling trading place where skippers from all areas around the Zuiderzee went to trade and carry cargo. Because silting occurred, the old Port could no longer be reached by the ships. After the Noordoostpolder was drained in 1942, this meant the end of Kuinre as a harbor town.

Measuring chair
In order for the reclamation of the Noordoostpolder to succeed, various canals, dikes and roads had to be constructed. It was of course important that the location of these elements was precisely determined. These points could be accurately determined from these so-called measuring chairs in the water.