Round Delfzijl

Our bike tour starts in the fortified town of Delfzijl. The name of this place comes from Zijl (sluice) and the Delf (original name of Damsterdiep). The place originated in the thirteenth century when a lock was built in the Delf. On July 25, 1568, Delfzijl was visited by Alva. He saw the strategic importance and made plans to turn it into a large fortress. The port of Delfzijl was already mentioned in various maritime writings in the 16th century. In 1665 Michiel de Ruyter entered the port of Delfzijl with the West Indies fleet and thirty captured ships. You cycle a large part of this route along the Ems. This river flows through the northwest of Germany, rises in Senne in Germany and flows into the North Sea via the Dollard and the Wadden Sea. The route leaves the banks of the Ems at Hoogwatum and you drive via Bierum to the town of Spijk. This settlement belongs to the group of the oldest settlements in the North Groningen sea clay area. This was created in the period after the ice ages by tidal action in combination with the gradually decreasing rise in sea level. In the village of Spijk you will find the corn and hulling mill Ceres. The mill was built in 1839. The mill is unique in terms of design and is used as a teaching mill for peeling. The mill is currently owned by the Stichting Het Groninger Landschap. Due to its favorable location on the Delf, Appingedam grew into an important trade and market center. Trade was conducted with Northern Germany, the Baltic Sea area, Scandinavia and Westphalia. The growth of the city was also reflected in the growth of the Nicholas Church, which grew along with the city during this period. In 1514 Appingedam was taken by George van Saksen. The population was massacred. Appingedam still looks unmistakably like a town today. Many medieval buildings can still be admired in the center. The most famous sights are three hanging kitchens and the narrow bridges above the Damsterdiep. During this cycle route we also pass a number of old Groningen churches. The Old Groninger Churches Foundation is committed to the material and functional preservation of the monumental Groningen churches and their surroundings. Material and functionality go hand in hand. Because old Groningen churches are not only valuable historical buildings, they are traditionally also places of meeting. The old churches that we encounter during this cycle route are: Sint-Pancratiuskerk, Reformed, Synagogue and Kerk Solwerd. In the adjacent column you will find the key address of these churches where you can go to visit the church.