Hempolders
Tjerkwerd
In the area between Bolsward and Raerd, the Frisian Hempolders emerged from the twelfth century on the southern side of the silted-up Middelzee.
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In the area between Bolsward and Raerd, the Frisian Hempolders emerged from the twelfth century on the southern side of the silted-up Middelzee.
A "Hem" is a plot of land surrounded by ditches and was drained with the help of mills. The Hemdijk is an inland dike that was constructed in various phases to protect the residents from water from the Frisian lakes. Several locks, known as "zijlen", were built into the dike to drain the land and allow boats through, such as in Tjerkwerd.
The collective Hemdijken now form a beautiful winding route through the low middle of Friesland! This region is characterized by the many canals and ditches that turn the area into a rural Venice.
