The fifth edition of the Oer-IJ Expedition discovery walk, today on Ascension Day, may also be the last. After this jubilee year, sports organization Le Champion will stop working with the Oer-IJ foundation. Whether the expedition will return and in what form has not yet been decided.
When you think of the Rhine you don’t easily think of North Holland. Yet about 4,000 years ago, a branch of the Rhine, just above Castricum, flowed into the North Sea here. Surrounded by ancient castle ruins, historic farms and picturesque polders, the ‘unknown’ Oer-IJ area is hidden between Alkmaar, Haarlem, Zaanstad and Amsterdam.
Prehistoric inhabitants built their first settlements here about 5,000 years before the first era. Around 2800 BC. this was a vast landscape with ridges, salt marshes and creeks.
‘Fascinating history’
The soil is full of information about the history of the province and the inhabitants of that time. “The Oer-IJ is probably the most invisible and undervalued structural line in the Netherlands. While it shows a fascinating history of the Dutch landscape,” says the province.
In the Oer-IJ area, much can be seen of the role and influence of water over the centuries. Water dictated the locations for the construction of castles and fortresses. The polders were drained with dikes and windmills, but the area could also be flooded to keep out intruders.
But then the mouth of the Oer-IJ silted up, and around 1200 the old sea was framed by the construction of the IJ dikes. Water is slowly but surely turning into land and the growth of villages and towns is accelerating. Ultimately, the North Sea Canal will be dug there.
The landscape formed by water and wind is rich in stories. In order to put the area on the map for a wider audience, the Oer-IJ expedition was set up in 2016. During this theatrical journey of discovery, hikers are taken into the history of this area by guides and actors.
Four trails
The event of the Oer-IJ foundation and sports organization Le Champion annually attracts between 2,000 and 4,000 participants. There are four routes of different distances, all of which start at the archeology museum Huis van Hilde, opposite Station Castricum.
But after the edition on Ascension Day, sports organization Le Champion is pulling its hands off the event. “With thousands of walkers at the start every year, four successful editions and an anniversary edition on May 18, this goal has been amply achieved. We say goodbye to the event, but that does not mean that it will disappear. The foundation may take a slightly different form with it further”, sports organization Le Champion responds.
Landscape as heritage
The fact that the interest in the Oer-IJ Expedition is still high is evident from the number of participants who have registered for this edition. Behind the scenes, therefore, we are working hard on a sequel.
“We embarked on the adventure together to make this area more known. This collaboration was for a certain period. With sponsors or with the support of the municipality, we will try to continue the event. But now we are mainly working on the upcoming edition .”
In any case, the foundation will continue to work for the vulnerable area. “With housing, the historic landscape is often sacrificed. By not only talking to municipalities and officials, but also by setting up activities such as studies, excursions and guided tours, we can point residents to this special area. path, you look around you differently.”