Aldtsjerk – Damwâld | Section 3 of the Circular Route through the Noardlike Fryske Wâlden National Landscape conservation area

A chance to trek through the open landscape surrounding the villages of Aldtsjerk and Damwâld. The third section of the route takes you along old monastery trails. Monks in grey habits once used these trails as a trade route between Dokkum and Feanwâlden. The trails lead through the wild reed-marsh and grassland landscape of the De Houtwiel nature reserve.

Circular Route through the Noardlike Fryske Wâlden National Landscape conservation area

The combination of cultural history and natural elements makes the Noardlike Fryske Wâlden National Landscape conservation area unique in Europe. A network of walks covering 165 kilometres leads you through ancient landscapes where traces of the past dating back hundreds of years are still visible. Pingos formed in the Ice Age, boulder clay deposits in the subsoil, areas where peat formed and was cut and small-scale farmland enclosed by rows of alders and wooded banks. Today these trees that were planted to contain livestock and prevent sandy soil from being eroded, play an important role in preserving the unique biodiversity in the region. Local farmers are largely responsible for the maintenance of this unique hedgerow and woodland landscape that is probably one of Friesland’s best kept secrets.

It is possible to start anywhere along the 165 kilometres of the Circular Route through the Noardlike Fryske Wâlden National Landscape conservation area. The route is signposted with red and yellow trail markers and runs from the town of Burgum, through the Trynwâlden area to the villages of Damwâld, Kollum, Buitenpost, Oudega and Eastermar, eventually arriving back in Burgum.