National Landscape Southwest Fryslân

The Landscape

National Landscape Southwest Fryslân covers no less than 51,420 hectares and offers a unique mix of water, nature, and cultural heritage. This region has a rich and layered history. From the first settlers who built terps (artificial dwelling mounds) to protect themselves from the water, to the construction of dikes and the rise of thriving trading towns. Agricultural peat reclamation, sea dikes, and inland dikes have all helped shape the landscape into what it is today. The area is divided into four distinctive regions: the clay landscape in the north and west, the glacial ridges in the southeast, the water-rich peat and lake district in the center, and the dynamic coastal landscape along the IJsselmeer.

This route takes you through the peat and lake district, the open clay landscape, and along the IJsselmeer coast. In the peat and lake area, lakes, canals, and ditches are lined with swaying reed beds and colorful, flower-rich meadows. The landscape breathes tranquility and tells the story of peat reclamation and water management. The Frisian clay landscape was formed after the last Ice Age, when the sea gradually rose and deposited clay along the coast. Over the centuries, people shaped the land further with dikes and polders, creating fertile fields that remain important to Frisian agriculture today. Along the IJsselmeer coast, the landscape changes suddenly. Here you'll find tidal flats, reed marshes, and rough grasslands that attract a wealth of birdlife. Amidst these wide-open spaces, historic harbor towns such as Hindeloopen, Workum, and Stavoren offer lively and charming places to pause and explore.