Cozy eco-friendly apartment in Gouda, near the polders
Apartment • Gouda Netherlands
4 Guests
2 Bedrooms
2 Beds
1 Bathroom
Wheelchair accessible
2 Car spaces
1 Car available
Primary home
Exchange types accepted
Simultaneous
Non-Simultaneous
Non-Reciprocal & Globe
Hospitality
Statistics
Listed February 2019
Views 10141
General overview
Our apartment on the 3rd floor was recently completed (2022) and is gas-free, well insulated, runs on solar energy and has a heat pump.
It is perfectly located between Gouda and Moordecht. So you are close to the city (and other cities) but also close to nature. When you walk down the street you are in the polder! Best of both worlds.
The space
Our 71m2 house is not very big, but has everything you need to be comfortable during your stay here. Upon entering the house you will find the bathroom on your right and a separate toilet on your left.
Walking through the hall you will find the master bedroom with a 160x200 bed. Followed by my son's bedroom with a 140x200 bed. My son's bedroom has a smart TV and PS4. There are boys' toys here such as Playmobil, soldiers and knights.
Finally you come to the bright living area. There is a smart TV with Netflix, Amazon Prime and YouTube on it. There are many board games (even some English ones) that you can use.
The living room has an open kitchen fully equipped (microwave, oven, blender, coffee maker, kettle, air fryer, sandwich maker, dishwasher), all of which are at your disposal. You'll find the fridge and freezer with enough food to get you started, so you don't have to worry about finding somewhere to eat and you can get settled first.
From the living room/dining room you have access to the balcony, which has direct sun all morning until mid-afternoon and a beautiful view. If you like birds, you will love spending time here :). The permanent residents include: ducks, cormorants, coots, moorhens, grebes, seagulls, geese, herons, kestrels, jackdaws, wagtails, tits and buzzards.
Guest access
You have access to the entire house. Everything is on one level. The apartment is located on the 3rd floor and is accessible by elevator or stairs.
Notes
Car exchange is possible and certainly something we can discuss. You can also use our bicycles (we have 2). There is a general indoor bicycle shed where you can place them.
Important to know: there are pets in the house, namely three cats. It would be great if they could be cared for while you stay in our home. There is also a small aquarium that requires little maintenance.
If you want to spend the night somewhere else (for example on a longer trip from Gouda), someone can help to take care of the animals.
If you have pets yourself, we are happy to take care of them too. Makes us miss our own less :).
Features
Washer
Dishwasher
Clothes dryer
Oven
Microwave
Coffee machine
Fridge
Iron
Hair dryer
Heating
Air conditioning
TV
WiFi
High Speed Internet
Bathtub
First aid kit
Wheelchair accessible
Smoke alarms
Fire extinguisher
Bed sheets
Towels
Workspace
Fireplace
Home cinema
Toys
Gym
Sauna
BBQ
Pool
Hot tub
Balcony
Garden / yard
Deck / patio / courtyard / terrace
Covered porch / verandah
Kosher home
Meat-free kitchen
Gated community
EV Home Charger
Bikes
Camping gear
Kayak
Tennis court
Standup paddleboard
Travel Styles
Long term
Weekend
Budget
Family
Sport and leisure
Foodie
Relaxing
City
Water
Culture
Cycling
Last minute
Good public transport
Accessibility
Step free access
Easy entrance
Single level
Elevator
Accessible switches
Accessible door handles
Accessible bedroom
Accessible height bed
Accessible shower
Accessible benchtops (counters)
Slip resistant kitchen flooring
Accessible parking space
House rules
Unsuitable for infants under 2
Suitable for children ages 2-12
Pets not allowed
No smoking
Allergens
Dog free
Carpet free
Smoke free
Dates of Availability
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Neighbourhood
The house is located on the edge of Gouda. Since the district is still developing, you will only find basic facilities here. For more shopping you have to go into the city or to the Waddinxveen (next town over) shopping area. You can go there by bike or by car. Waddinxveen has free parking. Both are about 10 minutes away.
There is a bus stop around the corner that takes you to the center of Gouda in 10 minutes. The last stop is at the bus and train station. From here you can make trips through the country or even outside the Netherlands.
If you walk down the street, you will find the GroenBlauwe zone. An area for cycling, walking, fishing or letting the children play in the playground. Within 5 minutes you are in the middle of the polders. You will also find a bird watching tower there.
Gouda itself is a great historic city with much to discover. Such as the town hall and St. John's Church (15th century). There are various city tours available to explore Gouda and gain interesting background information. There is a local indoor and outdoor swimming pool, a city beach, museums, indoor playgrounds, cinema, lots of restaurants and shops. For more information: https://welcometogouda.com/.
Gouda is good at organizing events. In the summer, for example, there is live music and food festivals. Cheese market every Thursday and regular market on Saturday. There are also various events in autumn and winter. Just like Crazy Saturday in October (medieval festival). Or an ice rink in December and January. One was made in a church last year!
The area in and around Gouda is ideal for cycling, but also for lovely walks and water sports. For example, Reeuwijk is a nearby village where there is water for surfing or swimming. Or just go for a walk or cycle. If you want to go to the sea, there are also several options nearby.
Getting to my home
My house is about 10 minutes by bus from the train and bus station, from where you have easy access to all major train stations nearby (Utrecht, Rotterdam, The Hague and Amsterdam). The bus stop closest to my house is around the corner.
Our house is close to the highway. Parking is not a problem as there are many free parking spaces included in the building.
Nearest airport
Schiphol Airport or Rotterdam Airport are the closest, but Schiphol is easier to reach by public transport to my house.
Getting around
Everything in and around Gouda is easy to do by bike, but there are also many buses that will take you wherever you want.
If you want to explore outside Gouda, you can use public transport or, if agreed upon, use my car. There is a great train and metro network around the larger cities and Gouda is perfectly located in the center of them.
This means that you can easily travel to larger cities by train. For example, Rotterdam 20 minutes (including three photos), The Hague 25 minutes, Utrecht 25 minutes, Amsterdam 55 minutes, Leiden 45 minutes, Delft 45 minutes. The Netherlands is of course not that big, so you can take a day trip to any city you like.
You can even travel outside the Netherlands and explore other parts of Europe. For example Belgium (Antwerp 1.5 hours or Brussels 2.5 hours) by train if you want. Or how about Paris? From Rotterdam the Thalys will take you there in just 2.5 hours. But Germany is also accessible (Cologne or Düsseldorf 3 hours). And if you want to go one step further. London is 4 hours by direct train from Rotterdam :).
Schiphol Airport can be reached in an hour by train (change once in Utrecht). Rotterdam Airport is 45 minutes away (one train and one bus).
So lots to do and easy to reach, even without a car. I'll make sure to leave you with all the details you need and I'll pick out some of the highlights that might be of interest to you.
Map of Approximate Location
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People Like Us Local Guide
City tour, dinner and a chat, cup of coffee. Feel free to reach out for whatever you need!
Feedback
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Premium
Lisette
I am a producer, writer and wildflife rehabber. In my spare time (if I have any) I take bike rides, swim, hike, go birding and listen to a lot of music.
My son is a real teenager and is in his third year of high school. He loves gaming and animals.
We both love nature, outdoors and historical sites.
My ultimate travel goal is to visit every state in the US (I know...very long term goal haha). My son's travel goal is to see as many animals in the wild as he can and has his mind set to South Africa :). Within Europe we are open to anything but prefer locations with easy access or driving distance.
People Like Us is the world's most trusted home exchange community. We believe in sharing, trust, generosity, respect, communication, equality, cooperation, honesty, hospitality, friendship, flexibility and adventure. We take pride in our homes and we care about the environment in which we live: our village, city, country and our planet. We care about the ethos of home exchange and we do it because we love the experience and the friendships that it generates.
Bathroom with walk-in shower (sorry no windows so the lighting in the picture is awful)
Separate toilet (sorry no windows so the lighting in the picture is awful)
Hallway
Balcony in autumn decor
Bodhi the Birman
Benji and Milo
When you walk down the street, you will find yourself in the GroenBlauwe zone. Here are several walking and cycling paths to enjoy the polders.
Walking area as you walk down the street. There are two walls for sand martins to breed in.
The cheese market. Every Thursday from April to August.
De Hoge Gouwe. Turn left at the end of the street and you are here. View on the Gouwekerk. This is no longer in use, but is used for exhibitions, for example. Winter 2018 a skating rink was placed here.
The Saint John. The tallest church in the Netherlands with 123 meters. Built in Gothic style and famous for its stained glass. Beautiful area in the city for walking. Also worth the effort to view inside. You can visit it for free at some events in Gouda. A little more than 5 minutes walk from my house.
Molen de Roode Leeuw located on the Vest (5 minutes walk from my house). Seen here from the Museumhaven.
The Museum harbor. On the right you can see the Gouwekerk in the distance. In this harbor there are ships that date from around 1900.
The canal on the Oosthaven.
The Haastrechts mill on the IJsseldijk. Nice cycling route from Gouda to Haastrecht.
Through the polders on the bike.
Cycling along the Reeuwijkse Plassen. You can also walk, sail or surf.
Beach at the Reeuwijkse Plas. About 15 minutes by car. A bus also stops there. In the summer you can relax and cool off in the water. There is a restaurant nearby.
The Hague. Also known for its beaches such as Scheveningen and Kijkduin. About 20 minutes by train. Train leaves almost every 10 minutes.
Rotterdam. Known for its unique architecture. Melting pot of cultures. About 20 minutes by train from Gouda. Train leaves almost every 10 minutes.
Rotterdam. The famous Kop van Zuid.
Kinderdijk (UNESCO World Heritage). You can take a boat trip from Rotterdam that takes you here. Sightseeing Rotterdam and Kinderdijk in one go. From my house you are also there with about 20 minutes drive.
Amsterdam. Easily accessible from Gouda. About 50 minutes by train.
Utrecht. Lived as a student for years and worked in one of these restaurants on the canal. Wonderful bustling city. About 20 minutes by train from Gouda. Train leaves approximately every 10 minutes.