Reiderland and Dollard

The Landscape

In the late Middle Ages, the Reiderland was a prosperous region, until floods in the 15th and 16th centuries caused large parts of the area to be lost to the sea. From the 16th to the 19th century, the people of Groningen responded by building dikes and reclaiming land. The result is a vast, flat landscape with endless vistas. Today, the fertile polders form a vibrant patchwork, with the red rooftops of the farmhouses standing out on the horizon. Golden wheat fields sway in the wind, the sun sparkles on the water, and sheep graze peacefully. The area radiates natural tranquility, with plenty of space to enjoy the freedom.

The Dollard is a unique estuary and part of the Wadden Sea, located on the border between the Netherlands and Germany. This extraordinary tidal landscape offers stunning views with over a thousand hectares of salt marshes and seven thousand hectares of mudflats. In the past, this area repeatedly caused flooding in Groningen. Today, the Dollard is mostly a protected nature reserve, where you can enjoy expansive salt marshes, mudflats, and tidal flats. At low tide, as much as 78% of the area is exposed as mudflats.