Groene Ster and Friese Wouden

The Landscape

East of Leeuwarden lies a surprisingly diverse landscape, perfect for a relaxing day in nature. Open views, shimmering lakes, scenic glimpses, and wide skies alternate constantly, creating a setting full of peace, space, and a true sense of freedom. Right on the edge of the city, you’ll find the Groene Ster, a versatile recreational area with ponds, small beaches, reed beds, and marshy woodlands. Once part of a vast, wet delta, the landscape was transformed by diking and peat extraction. But these changes gave rise to a rich mosaic of water and nature. Today, it’s a favorite spot for swimmers, walkers, cyclists and birds.

A little further east lies the unique landscape of the Friese Wouden. Here, you won’t find vast polders but a mosaic of meadows, hedgerows, reed beds, marshes, alder groves, small woods, and ditches that give the landscape its charming structure. Along old paths and winding roads, scattered farms and small hamlets often rest on the higher sandy ridges. Wildflowers and bramble bushes bloom in the forests, fields, and along the hedges. The overwhelming silence is broken only by the melodic songs of birds. It’s a landscape that has largely preserved its original character: rustic, green, and full of life.