Cycling route National Park Lauwersmeer
Cycling through a rugged, open nature area of reed beds, flower-rich grasslands, young deciduous woodlands, sand and clay flats, and broad water bodies.
The Landscape
Nationaal Park Lauwersmeer lies on the border of Groningen and Friesland, just behind the Wadden Sea. With the closure of the Lauwerszee in 1969, the area transformed from a brackish tidal inlet into a vast freshwater landscape, allowing nature and birdlife to flourish rapidly. Today, you cycle through a mosaic of shallow waters, reed beds, wet grasslands, and vegetated flats that give the area its rugged character.
Along the way, wide-open views alternate with sheltered woodland sections, with clear traces of water management and nature development throughout. The Nationaal Park Lauwersmeer is one of the best places in the Netherlands for birdwatching, with species such as the White-tailed Eagle and the Eurasian Spoonbill as true highlights. And once night falls, you notice how remarkably quiet it becomes, as the park is an official Dark Sky Park with an exceptionally clear night sky.
What You’ll Discover Along the Way
You cycle past young deciduous woodlands on former seabed, where quiet lanes alternate with open edges. In and around the Diepsterbos, the greenery feels sheltered, with views across reed beds and wet grasslands filled with birdsong.
Near Lauwersoog and Zoutkamp, you ride close to the Wadden Sea coast, with dikes, salt marshes, and a horizon that is rarely interrupted. The wind and the salty coastal atmosphere make this part of the route especially lively, particularly at viewpoints overlooking the Wadden Sea.
Around the lake, a neatly structured polder landscape unfolds, with ditches, straight roads, and broad plots. You cycle past arable fields and farmsteads with long sightlines, giving the landscape a calm, rolling feel while still offering subtle shifts in atmosphere.
Around the lake, a well-ordered polder landscape unfolds, with ditches, straight roads, and wide plots. You cycle past arable fields and farmsteads with long sightlines, so the landscape rolls by calmly while still offering subtle shifts in atmosphere.
Ride along with us on this virtual bike tour
Virtual cycling through Nationaal Park Lauwersmeer lets you experience from home the rugged border landscape of Groningen and Friesland, with reed beds, wet grasslands, and wide views over shallow waters. In the video, you ride along young deciduous woodlands and quiet roads where wind and birdsong set the pace.
Along the way, open water and vegetated flats alternate, with dikes and polder lines forming clear frameworks in the landscape. A pleasant virtual route for a relaxed indoor cycling session or to explore the area in advance before heading out.
Want to learn more about virtual cycling? THIS IS HOW VIRTUAL CYCLING WORKS
Route map and cycling junctions
Start and finish near cycling junction 89 on the Strandweg in Zoutkamp. Because this is a circular route, you can also start at one of the other cycling junctions along the route.
Unfortunately, a diversion is in place due to extensive dike works, which means the cycle paths along the dike and in the Marnewaard are closed for an extended period. As a result, it is not possible to cycle via junctions 7 and 8. It is recommended to follow the route from junction 6 to junction 5. If approaching from the opposite direction, you can cycle from junction 5 to junction 6. The diversion shortens the route by approximately 5 kilometres. For more information, please visit Routebureau Groningen.
Distance: 48 km
Estimated riding time: 3 hours 13 minutes
Elevation gain: 22 m
Paved roads: 98%
Unpaved / semi-paved: 2%
Ideal for: e-bikes and city bikes
Along the way: several options for a coffee break or lunch.
