Rijkerswoerdse Plassen

Two lakes at the edge of the city

The Rijkerswoerdse Plassen are two lakes just south of Arnhem. Strictly speaking you are in the municipality of Overbetuwe, right on the border, the Arnhem district of De Laar is to the north, and the village of Elst is to the south. The lakes belong to Park Lingezegen, a large recreation and nature area.

In summer this is where Arnhem comes to swim. People lie on the sand, kids head for the play areas, and sailors and other water sports fans use the open water. Outside the high season it is a different place. The beaches empty, the birds take over, and the people you meet are walkers and dog owners going round the shore.

That double life is the reason to come. You get a proper beach day or a quiet lakeside walk, depending on the month, within easy reach of the centre.

Dug out of farmland

The lakes are not natural. Before the late 1970s this was farmland. Then sand extraction began, and the pits slowly filled with water.

The western lake, the bigger of the two, was the first to be dug. Work started from the corner of Kerkstraat and Rijkerswoerdse straat. Digging could not continue as far as the Rijksweg, so in the 1980s the eastern lake was started. Later the western lake was enlarged too, and that is when its recreation area was laid out. A sand depot still lies south of it.

The name comes from Rijkerswoerd, a small hamlet that stood nearby until the Arnhem district of the same name was built. So the lakes carry the name of a place that has mostly disappeared.

The water is managed and run by Recreatieschap Overbetuwe. It is a good contrast with Meinerswijk on the other side of the Rhine, where the river itself shaped the land. Here people did it with diggers.

What to look for on the shore

Start at the western lake, where most of the facilities are. You will find sandy beaches with play equipment, snack kiosks, toilets and an outdoor shower. There is also a restaurant, a first aid room, bike parking and an outdoor fitness zone. A golf course and a minigolf course sit close by.

Walk away from the beach area and the mood changes quickly. The shoreline gets quieter, and you can see how the two lakes sit in the flat land around them, with the sand depot and the roads and railway line of Schuytgraaf close by. It is a landscape that is clearly still in use, not a polished park.

Two events give the lakes a place in the local calendar. Every year there is a New Year's dive, when people run into the cold water in January. Once a year the shore also hosts a music festival.

If you come in summer, expect towels, bicycles and plenty of company. If you come in autumn or winter, bring a coat and take the loop slowly. The open water gives you wide skies and a good chance to see waterbirds.