Opeinde – Earnewâld | Section 9 of the Circular Route through the Noardlike Fryske Wâlden National Landscape conservation area

The ninth section of the route takes you through De Alde Feanen National Park. On the way to the park, the route leads through an expansive landscape with an occasional row of trees on the horizon. De Alde Feanen National Park is a large area of low-lying peatland in the heart of Friesland. Because there is so much water in the landscape, the national park is home to many species of fish. The water and meadows here make ideal nesting habitat for meadow birds.

Circular Route through the Noardlike Fryske Wâlden National Landscape conservation area

The combination of cultural history and natural elements makes the Noardlike Fryske Wâlden National Landscape conservation area unique in Europe. A network of walks covering 165 kilometres leads you through ancient landscapes where traces of the past dating back hundreds of years are still visible. Pingos formed in the Ice Age, boulder clay deposits in the subsoil, areas where peat formed and was cut and small-scale farmland enclosed by rows of alders and wooded banks. Today these trees that were planted to contain livestock and prevent sandy soil from being eroded, play an important role in preserving the unique biodiversity in the region. Local farmers are largely responsible for the maintenance of this unique hedgerow and woodland landscape that is probably one of Friesland’s best kept secrets.

It is possible to start anywhere along the 165 kilometres of the Circular Route through the Noardlike Fryske Wâlden National Landscape conservation area. The route is signposted with red and yellow trail markers and runs from the town of Burgum, through the Trynwâlden area to the villages of Damwâld, Kollum, Buitenpost, Oudega and Eastermar, eventually arriving back in Burgum.