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Lauwersland

Lauwersland covers parts of the two northernmost provinces in the Netherlands: Groningen and Friesland. Lauwer Lake (Lauwersmeer) is the heart of the region. It was created in 1969 when a dyke was built between the Lauwer Sea (Lauwerszee) and the Wadden Sea (Waddenzee). As a result, the Netherlands was some 9,000 ha of land and a beautiful nature reserve richer. The area was recently given national park status. Visitors can cycle and walk there and the flora and fauna is remarkable. The dykes border the Wadden area, which is a national nature reserve. Twice a day this area undergoes a transformation: what is a ‘normal’ sea at high tide changes into a mysterious mud flat with channels between the sandbars at low tide. In clear weather, you can see the West Frisian Islands from the dyke. The region around Lauwer Lake is characterized by two very different landscapes. In the north, on both sides of the lake, the landscape is open and vast. To the south of the lake, the landscape is closed and intimate. Rows of trees and hedges divide the land; coulisses as it were. The groves and embankments in this coulisse landscape make for an attractive backdrop. Anyone who rents a bike or puts a pair of sturdy shoes can wander endlessly in this beautiful setting.

A rich history

Lauwersland is one of the oldest cultural-historical landscapes of Europe and is littered with remnants of the past. If any landscape was ever litterly created by human hands, than it is Lauwersland. People have lived there since long before Christian era. In addition to fishing in the Wadden Sea, they lived from agriculture as the clay soil was very fertile. The inhabitants paid a high price for that fertile soil: the sea regularly swept away their possessions and land. They erected mounds to keep dry. Later complete villages were built on these mounds, usually with a small church in the middle. Whatever direction you look, there is usually a small tower rising in the distance. The churches are lovely and quaint on the outside and impressively silent and austere inside. Experts come from far and near to see the original organs. Today, a number of churches are used for a different purpose. Some are used by artists as studios and many a church houses a museum.

Water Sports

Lauwersland is ideal for water lovers. Anyone wanting to see the area from a completely different perspective can rent a canoe. The smallest waterways are accessible to kayaks and canoes. A fun idea for ‘a day doing something different’, but you can also book packages for several day’s canoeing. Renting pleasure boats is very popular as well. There is overnight accommodation in well-fitted marinas. Sailors and windsurfers can do their favorite sport on Lauwer Lake or the Wadden Sea. Walking across the mud flats to one of the islands is a fantastic sports for athletically inclined nature lovers. The small village of Pieterburen is an (inter)nationally renowned center for mud-flat walking. You can also tackle the flats from, for example, Holwerd or Wierum, under the watchful eye of an experienced guide. Extensive information is available at these centers. Fierljeppen (fenpole jumping) is a traditional Frisian sport that you simply must do or watch in order to get a sense of Frisian folklore. Fishing is something you can do throughout Lauwersland. For the early inhabitants it was hard work, but you can relax and enjoy yourself at a tranquil fishing hole.

More information on the website of Tourist Information (VVV) Lauwersland

(source: VVV Lauwersland)