National Park Lauwersmeer

The Landscape

In the Lauwersmeer area, the sea used to have free rein. However, the open connection with the Wadden Sea regularly caused flooding. The estuary was closed and the salty sea became a sweet water lake. The lake turned slowly into a rugged wilderness. And in return the wilderness offers peace and tranquility for humans and animals. This is how the Lauwersmeer National Park was created within fifty years. A true bird paradise with a great variety of landscapes. Vast grasslands and swaying reed beds. Sheltered deciduous forests and overgrown sandbanks. A huge area of shallow water under a clean horizon. And at night the area transforms into one of the darkest places in the Netherlands.

Bike with us

Route map

You will bike in the vicinity of the towns of Zoutkamp, Lauwersoog, Eanjum, Kollum, and Munnekezijl.

Start and finish near bike node 89 on the Strandweg in Zoutkamp. However, this bike route is a circular tour, so it offers the possibility to start from any of the following bike nodes.

Unfortunately, there is a road diversion due to extensive construction work on the dike, resulting in the closure of bike paths along the dike and in Marnewaard for an extended period. This means that it will not be possible to cycle via junctions 7 and 8 until the end of 2025. It is recommended to cycle from junction 6 to junction 5 if you are going in that direction. If you are coming from the other direction, you can cycle from junction 5 to junction 6. The road diversion shortens the route by approximately 5 kilometers.

89 - 9 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 5 - 73 - 4 - 45 - 46 - 13 - 50 - 83 - 85 - 84 - 88 - 90 - 89