Nijetrijne, Echtenerbrug and Wolvega

Cycle through a typical Dutch polder landscape; an ingenious example of water management of which there are approximately 4,000 in the Netherlands. The water level is artificially regulated and is lower than in the surrounding areas. The area in Friesland that you will cycle through is often crossed by waterways; ditches that can flow well to regulate the water. The polders De Ontginning and Wester- en Oosterschar, like all other polders in the Netherlands, have no direct connection to the water outside the area, except via structures. The water level is regulated by polder mills, pumping stations or drainage sluices. Where the water level needs to be higher, a fixed, higher water level can be achieved with the help of weirs.

There are three types of polders: reclaimed land, embankment and reclamation. Open water has been reclaimed in a reclaimed land. Here a lake or puddle has literally been dried up. A dike is a reclamation of an area on the coast. These are often salt marshes that have dried up here and dikes protect the area and now keep the water away. During reclamation, natural wasteland is cleared and prepared for cultural cultivation. Reclamation does not always have to result in a polder landscape; former peat, swamp, heath or dune areas can of course also be given a different purpose.

Wolvega is the largest place you will encounter during your tour. Originally a regional village, it was first mentioned in 1218 as Wolwagham. The working class in particular was widely represented in the nineteenth century. Arable farming and livestock farming was widely practiced in this area. It was a relatively prosperous village, which became an important center due to the construction of the Rijksstraatweg between Leeuwarden and Zwolle. In Wolvega you can still see some old buildings, such as the Grietenijhuis dating from 1835 and the station building that was built 30 years later.