Molenaarsgraaf combines village history with routes on the water and by bike. Facade stones on Graafdijk-West recall earlier flood levels in the Alblasserwaard; Route 5, “De Graafstroom,” passes through the village. This provides a clear thematic focus for a stay: historic architectural styles, traces of earlier settlement and activities that can be planned using specific route details.
Church and farmhouses: architectural details
The Nederlands Hervormde Kerk is a Late Gothic village church with a single-aisled nave. Its chancel is narrower and lower, and has a five-sided end. The proportions of the two parts of the building make its architectural style a tangible point of interest for anyone interested in historic architecture. There is also a stork’s nest on the church in Molenaarsgraaf.
At Graafdijk-West 27–28 stands a 17th-century farmhouse with a straight gable. A section of the building with a cellar on the left lies beneath a pitched roof; its gable runs parallel to the street. The farmhouse at Graafdijk-West 10–11 dates from the 18th century and has a thatched roof. Its tall front facade features brickwork decoration and windows with small panes. Three facade stones at number 11 and two at number 28 mark water levels from earlier floods that affected the Alblasserwaard. The farmhouses are therefore also connected with the region’s history of water.
Earlier traces and local orientation
Hazendonk is a donk (river dune) with traces of settlement from the Late Stone Age. The Middelmolen is located at Graafdijk-West 57. Together with the farmhouses and the church, these provide a range of historic points of interest, from early traces of settlement to buildings dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. The stoepen along the Graafstroom are also among Molenaarsgraaf’s characteristic features.
Water route or cycling route?
Route 5, “De Graafstroom,” passes through Molenaarsgraaf, is 10 km long and connects to Route 5a. There is a canoe landing stage on either side of the weir there. The stated distance and connection to another route offer a specific basis for planning; the canoe landing stages add a canoeing perspective to the route description.
The Bleskensgraaf-Alblasserwaard route has an alternative starting point at Graafdijk Oost 2 in Molenaarsgraaf. At the starting point, there is a car park by junction 13, at the corner of Graafdijk Oost and Damseweg. The planning details therefore differ: Route 5 has a stated distance, while the Bleskensgraaf-Alblasserwaard route focuses on the starting point and car park. Route information and parking availability may change; check the latest details before setting out.
De Zuivelboerderij was also mentioned as a possible additional point of reference in a notice dated 9 June 2023, which listed nine Rustpunten (rest stops) in Molenlanden. Check current signage and opening hours before visiting.
Discover more destinations: Goudriaan
Return to the main travel overview: Graafstroom.
