The Kagerplassen is a small lake system in South Holland

South Holland

South Holland is a province situated on the North Sea in the western part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is The Hague and its largest city is Rotterdam.South Holland is one of the most densely populated and industrialised areas in the world...

 located to the northeast of Leiden. The Kaag Lakes are a popular area for boating, watersports, fishing, camping and walking. Windmills, waterfront pasture land (weilanden) with grazing animals, quaint Dutch boats and buildings and (in season) flower fields are all part of the charm of boating and walking in this area.

The Kaag Lakes are part of five municipalities: Kaag & Braassem, Haarlemmermeer

Haarlemmermeer

Haarlemmermeer is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is a polder, consisting of land reclaimed from water, and the name Haarlemmermeer means Haarlem's Lake, still referring to the body of water from which the region was reclaimed in the 19th century.Its main...

, Teylingen

Teylingen

Teylingen is a municipality in the province of South Holland, the Netherlands. It was created on January 1, 2006, through the amalgamation of Sassenheim, Voorhout, and Warmond...

, Oegstgeest

Oegstgeest

Oegstgeest is a town and municipality in the province of South Holland in the western Netherlands. Its population was 22,576 in 2008.-Location :...

 and Leiden. Three villages lie directly on the lakes: Warmond

Warmond

Warmond is a village and former municipality in the western Netherlands, north of Leiden in the province of South Holland. The municipality covered an area of 14.42 km² of which 4.42 km² is water, and had a population of 4,977 in 2004. Together with Sassenheim and Voorhout, it became...

, De Kaag

Kaag

De Kaag is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Kaag en Braassem, and lies about 8 km northeast of Leiden.De Kaag lies on an island, Kagereiland, in a lake system called the Kaag Lakes...

 and Buitenkaag

Buitenkaag

Buitenkaag is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Haarlemmermeer, and lies about 8 km northeast of Leiden. The name Buitenkaag refers to the town Kaag and the surrounding lake area, the Kagerplassen.In 2001, the village of Buitenkaag had 247...

. A number of other villages and towns (including Leiden itself) are located on connecting waterways providing easy access to the lakes.

The Kaag Lakes consist of an interconnected system of smaller lakes and waterways. The Kaag Lakes are fenland lakes (veenplassen) and part of the Holland-Utrecht wet fenland area (veenweidegebied). There are several islands, including the following:

• The only inhabited island is Kagereiland, on which De Kaag
  Kaag
  De Kaag is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Kaag en Braassem, and lies about 8 km northeast of Leiden.De Kaag lies on an island, Kagereiland, in a lake system called the Kaag Lakes...
  
   is situated.

• Two others islands, de Lakerpolder en de Kogjespolder, are managed by the Dutch Forestry Commission (Staatsbosbeheer).

• Another island situated in the southwestern part of the system is called Boterhuiseiland (literally, "Butterhouse Island"). For at least 50 years this has been the home of the Kaag Lakes Sea Scout Centre (Zeeverkennerscentrum Kagerplassen). During the boating season this centre provides a basis for around two dozen Sea Scout groups in the region. Campgrounds on the island are also used by other Dutch Scout groups.

The lakes are home to several sailing schools. The oldest sailing school is 't Vossenhol, founded in 1947 and situated on the Dieperpoel. In 1952 sailing school De Kaag was founded.

The Kaag Lakes are connected to a larger network of lakes and waterways called the Holland Lakes (Hollandse Plassen). The other lake systems are called the Braassemermeer, Wijde Aa and the Westeinderplassen. They are all connected by the Haarlemmermeer Ring Waterway, the Does river and many smaller waterways. This network means that much of northern South Holland is enjoyable for boating.

External links

• Map of Kagerplassen on Google Maps
• Over de Kagerplassen (in Dutch only)
• Welkom op de Kaag (in Dutch only; includes detailed interactive map)
• Stichting Zeeverkennerscentrum Kagerplassen (in Dutch only)
• Stichting zeilschool 't Vossenhol (in Dutch only)
• Rederij van Hulst Boat cruises on the Kaag Lakes out of Warmond, Noordwijk Binnen and Lisse
• Rederij Triton Boat cruises on the Kaag Lakes out of Katwijk aan Zee