National Park De Alde Feanen

The Landscape

Nationaal Park De Alde Feanen is a vast low-lying peat marsh in Friesland, known for its unique landscape of open water, reed beds, peat lakes, and swamp forests. The area was shaped over centuries by peat digging, creating a beautiful mosaic of water and land. De Alde Feanen is home to a rich variety of plants typical of peat marshes and wet meadows, with more than 450 different species and over 100 breeding bird species. With its special nature and many recreational opportunities, De Alde Feanen is an important nature reserve and a popular destination in Northern Netherlands.

At the heart of this vast low-lying peat marsh lies the village of Eernewoude. After the Middle Ages, it grew into a settlement on the edge of the inhabited world, nestled in a quiet and wet peatland, like an outpost in the marsh. What began as an isolated community developed into a village closely connected to the ever-changing surrounding nature for centuries. In the 19th century, peat diggers reclaimed this ‘wasteland.’ Using shovels and dredging tools, they dug out the peat, creating a landscape of peat lakes and peat pits. This transformation brought new life to the village: fishermen, hunters, skippers, reed cutters, and peat boatmen made their living here. Today, Eernewoude has grown into the tourist heart of the National Park.