Goudswaard offers a range of highlights to consider when planning your trip: the open polder landscape along the Ontdek Goudswaard walking route, opportunities to watch birds at the Korendijkse Slikken, and historic architectural features at the church and farms. When planning, it is worth distinguishing between the routes described and their respective conditions.
Polder Paths and Nature Watching
The Ontdek Goudswaard walking route runs alongside the Spui, offering wide views of the water and surrounding countryside. It follows the distinctive cart track through the open polder landscape and passes the “Hier = Nu” art picnic spot. The spot serves as a resting place, providing a named point where you can take a break during the walk.
The Oude Nieuwlandsedijk is part of the landscape’s history. The cart track runs along this dike, which is part of an old polder landscape created through land reclamation in the 16th century. The route therefore combines tangible impressions of the open landscape with a glimpse into how it developed historically; both are part of the same walk.
The Korendijkse Slikken lie to the south of Goudswaard. The walking route there is closed every year from 15 March through 15 July during the breeding season. Bear this period in mind when planning your trip if you want to visit the route. It passes a birdwatching hut. From there, visitors may be able to see geese or spoonbills on the Haringvliet; a sighting is possible, but not guaranteed.
Water Views and Rest Stops
The WSV Goudswaard marina is another waterfront destination in the village. It has 68 berths for members and 15 visitor berths.
Costa Del Spui offers walkers a place to rest and look out over the Spui. Together with the wide water views along the Ontdek Goudswaard route, it provides another way to include the water in your trip: as part of a walk or as a viewpoint where you can take a break.
Church, Farms and Windmill
The Hervormde Kerk at Dorpsstraat 19 is a rectangular hall church dating from the 18th century. Its simple tower probably dates from 1721.
Agatha Johannahoeve is an 18th-century farm. The property includes a residence beneath a gabled roof with a gabled façade and a large brick stable beneath a hipped roof covered with tiles. The different roof forms give the farm a clear architectural structure: the residence and stable can be described as distinct parts of the ensemble.
At Oudendijk 36, the farm comprises a residence with a curvilinear neck gable and a Flemish barn with a longitudinal threshing floor. Both parts were built around 1880. The farm has cultural and historical value as a distinctive example of an agricultural enterprise on the islands of South Holland. Compared with Agatha Johannahoeve, it illustrates the difference in age between an 18th-century farm and a complex dating from around 1880, without reducing the two buildings to the same architectural style.
The Windlust corn mill in Goudswaard is the oldest grain mill in the Hoeksche Waard. It adds another dimension of regional agriculture to the farms. Together with the different residential and agricultural buildings, it makes local architectural history a distinct highlight alongside the paths and opportunities for nature watching.
Tours in the Hoeksche Waard
The wider Hoeksche Waard travel region has a signposted network of 470 kilometers of walking trails; it also offers 300 kilometers of cycling routes. These figures apply to the region, not just to Goudswaard. They provide further opportunities to choose between walking and cycling. As route conditions may change, it is advisable to check them before setting out on a planned trip.
When looking for a hotel in Goudswaard, you can first decide what you would like to focus on during your stay: the polder landscape, possible birdwatching, or historic architecture. If your trip includes the Korendijkse Slikken, also bear in mind its annual closure period.
Discover more destinations: Zuid-Beijerland.
Return to the main travel overview: Korendijk.
