De Kooten – Surhuizum | Section 6 of the Circular Route through the Noardlike Fryske Wâlden National Landscape conservation area

The sixth section of the route leads you through the village of Kootstertille. The name of the village is derived from Cottum, which refers to the ‘koters’ or smallholders that lived in the area. These were farmers who owned only a small piece of land and had to find other work to supplement their income. You follow the route along Langpaed lane, a mass path dating back to 1833 that runs across land belonging to the Dutch Reformed Church. The path is said to be haunted.

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.