Terwolde, Epe and Vaassen

The Wisselse Veen used to be far from civilization and the fairytale-like stream that originates in the area is therefore called the Verloren Beek. The terrain that contains the Wisselse Veen is very valuable. On the adjacent high-lying, dry Tongerense Heide, heathland, forests and here and there a fen alternate, but as you go to the center of the Wisselse Veen, the soil becomes increasingly wetter. Swamp and open water are becoming more common. To the north, the landscape becomes smaller and you can clearly see the hand of the inhabitants: streams are trained and groves and canals are surrounded by grasslands. The wild plants that grow on the transitions from high to low are very diverse. Poor-flowered waterrush and cinquefoil grow on thick carpets of sphagnum moss and brown beak rush, ivy water-crow-head, knotweed pondweed, various types of glossy seaweed and galigana thrive in the area. Marsh clubmoss, the rare bell gentian, spotted orchid and tar whorl are also common. Fish such as verge, brook lamprey and minnow swim in the clean streams and fens, and insects, dragonflies and butterflies find their way to the Wisselse Veen through the swampy soil and the diversity of plants. They in turn attract breeding birds: the snipe, water rail and reed bunting can be found in the heart of the moor, while the yellowhammer can be seen on the grassy grasslands. You also follow the IJssel for a bit, which is 125 kilometers long in total. From the fifteenth century, this branch of the Rhine became less and less suitable for water traffic, because it started to silt up. The cause of this was the Saint Elizabeth's Flood. This gave the river Waal a shorter route to the sea and therefore less water flowed through the IJssel. With the help of the Pannerdensch Canal, more water was supplied and it was agreed that the IJssel would receive 1/9 of the water from the Rhine. This was arranged with weirs, which still exist today. While you find your way along the winding floodplains of the IJssel, you can enjoy a beautiful bocage landscape.