Ferwert-Hallum | Klooster Claercamppad pilgrimage trail: Stage 5

The fifth stage of the Klooster Claercamppad pilgrimage trail takes you along a section of the famous Elfstedentocht tour skating route. You set off from the mound village of Ferwert and walk through several small villages, then along the bank of the Dokkumer Ee canal to Hallum where this stage of the trail ends.

The starting point in Ferwert and the endpoint in Hallum are both located on the same salt marsh ridge, composed of sand and clay, that is thought to have formed in this coastal region from 500 BCE onwards. The size of the churches in these two villages is a reminder of the rich gentlemen farmers and members of the nobility who once lived here and the monasteries previously established in the area.   

The monks of Foswerd monastery near the village of Ferwert did not see eye to eye with the monks of Claercamp monastery. In 1397, the feud between them came to a head with an arson attack and murder...  Today there are just two old farmhouses on Kleasterwei road where Foswerd monastery once stood.

You pass the ancient little village of Wânswert, where hunter-gatherers are thought to have lived in prehistoric times, and continue on to the village of Burdaard, which lies on the Elfstedentocht tour skating route. From Burdaard you walk along the bank of the Dokkumer Ee canal to the little ferry service near the village of Wyns. You take the ferry across the water and continue on to the famous little wooden bridge at Bartlehiem. From there you head west to Hallum.

Be sure to enjoy the expansive views and meadow bird areas to the left and right of the Hallumer Feart canal.    

This route is part of the Klooster Claercamppad pilgrimage trail.