Blauwe Kamer (English)
In the Blauwe Kamer nature reserve (literally: the Blue Room) the water of the river Lower Rhine has all the space it needs. The summer dike was lowered in 1992 and, by doing so, the area is flooded regularly. Thanks to these floods, nature in the Blauwe Kamer is always moving and developing.
Bird sanctuary
The Blauwe Kamer is a true bird lover’s paradise. The bird watch hut overlooks the bird sanctuary, where spoonbills, teals, corncrakes, cormorants, waders, and kestrels show frequently. With a bit of luck, you might even see an osprey, a short-toed eagle or kingfisher.
Landscape is formed by the river
The river’s dynamics create a difference in heights, and attracts special plants and animals. Grasslands, full of flowers, colour the Blauwe Kamer. Willow and wetlands have formed in various places. Over 200 species of bird and 300 plant varieties are found in the area. The beaver has found a good home in the Blauwe Kamer too.
Galloways and Koniks
Herds of semi-wild Galloway cattle and konik ponies walk around freely in the area. Keep at a distance and do not feed the animals! They are perfectly able to look after themselves, also in winter. When the water is running high, they seek shelter on higher grounds. Up there, hawthorn and briar rose can spread because they are not consumed by the animals. Among prickly bushes, some young maples have managed to grow into mature trees.
Relicts of the past
In the Blauwe Kamer, you will also find the remains of a brickyard. Between 1890-1975, river clay bricks were baked here. In its heyday – after the second World War – 500,000 bricks left these works every week. Most part of the Utrecht Tuindorp quarter was built with these bricks. Nowadays, the ruins are used for shelter by the koniks, long-eared bats and wild bees.
Linking nature
Owing to the climate change, our rivers have to cope with more and more water. In order to prevent the dikes from bursting, the government intends to give the water more space. This can be done by digging ditches and removing any obstacles in the floodplain. And, as nature conservancy Utrechts Landschap has shown in the Blauwe Kamer, nature benefits as well.
The river is allowed more space in many more areas along the Lower Rhine, such as the Amerongse Bovenpolder and Palmerswaard. Utrechts Landschap is also working on linking nature reserves. The next thing we know, the red deer may well be walking from the Veluwe woodland to the floodplains, and over the hills of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug.
Practical information
Map of the Blauwe Kamer
In the Blauwe Kamer you can follow the green marked walking trail of 3 km. You’ll walk by the remains of the brickyard and you’ll visit the bird sanctuary.
Be aware: after rainfall or high water the path can be very wet. We recommend that you wear boots.
Click on the map to enlarge
