A region where life is good and beautiful. That’s Gooi en Vechtstreek. The Gooi and Vecht region offers a blend of history, nature, and culture. It is waiting to be explored.
Gooi en Vechtstreek is located southeast of Noord-Holland. It lies east of the Amsterdam-Rijn Canal. The region includes the Gooi area. It also encompasses the northern part of the Vechtstreek.
What makes up Gooi en Vechtstreek? It consists of seven municipalities. These are Blaricum, Eemnes, Gooise Meren, and Hilversum. Also included are Huizen, Laren, and Wijdemeren. Eemnes is in the province of Utrecht. Yet, it participates in the Gooi en Vechtstreek collaboration.
Until January 1, 2022, Weesp was part of Gooi en Vechtstreek. Weesp merged with Amsterdam on March 24, 2022. So, it left the partnership.
Gooi en Vechtstreek is the working area for several organizations. These include the Veiligheidsregio Gooi en Vechtstreek. It also covers the Noord-Holland part of Rechtbank Midden-Nederland. Plus, it is the district for the Regionale Eenheid Midden-Nederland police force. The region is part of the Metropoolregio Amsterdam. This is a collaboration between Noord-Holland and Flevoland provinces.
Since 2020, municipalities in Gooi en Vechtstreek have collaborated. They work with other organizations. Their goal is better use of space around the Gooicorridor. The Gooicorridor is the train connection. It links the region with Utrecht, Amsterdam, and Amersfoort.
The Gooi is the northern end of the Utrechtse heuvelrug. It formed during the Saalien ice age. This was approximately 370,000 to 130,000 years ago. During the last ice age, much sand was deposited in ‘t Gooi. This period lasted from 80,000 to 20,000 years ago.
At the Aardjesberg, fragments of firestone were discovered. They might be from 10,000 years ago. These could be remnants of a wandering hunter-gatherer people. On the heath along the Hilversum-Laren road, burial mounds were found. They contain remains of grave monuments. These date back to around 1,500 BC.
The highest point is the Tafelberg. It is 36.4m above sea level. It sits on the border of Huizen and Blaricum. It’s precisely between the built-up areas of Bussum, Huizen, Blaricum, and Laren.
In the 10th century AD, the Gooi was known as Nardinclant. It belonged to Count Wichman IV of Hamaland. In Elten, he founded a monastery. His daughter Luitgarde became its abbess. This abbey gained possession of Nardinclant in 968. In the early 13th century, Gijsbrecht II acquired rights in Nardinclant. After conflicts with the Count of Holland, Nardinclant was transferred to Floris V of Holland in 1280. Over the course of the 14th century, the name Nardinclant changed to Gooiland.
The Vechtstreek lies at and just below sea level. The area was formed by peat extraction. The lakes are a result of this turf cutting. However, the Naardermeer was a natural peat lake. It was not created by human activity.
The Vechtstreek is larger than the part within Gooi en Vechtstreek. The Vecht is originally a peat river. Later, it was fed by the Rhine. Now, the water comes from canals in Utrecht. Research suggests part of the Vecht originated from canals. Roman general Drusus the Elder built these. They provided access to areas north of the Rhine.