Tour of De Weerribben National Park

De Weerribben-De Wieden National Park is one of the most important wetland areas in Europe. With 35 square kilometers of open water, reedlands and swamp forests, De Weerribben is a natural habitat for many birds, mammals and insect species. Water lilies, crabgrass or water hemlock grow and bloom on the ponds, fens and lakes, but you also see large masses of the carnivorous plant bladderwort floating. In the reedlands, where the soil acidifies quickly, colorful fireweeds, skullcap, bindweed and marsh buckthorn stand out. Where the soil is acidified, heather, peat moss, sundew and marsh leaf grow and the forests consist largely of alder, birch and rowan. Roe deer, foxes and otters survive on what the Weerribben has to offer, but the area also offers plenty of opportunities for survival for the purple heron, the black tern, the bittern or the golden oriole. A wide variety of butterflies and dragonflies flit from plant to plant in the watery, boggy environment. And then suddenly, in the middle of the natural beauty, you see a paaltjasker! This mill, called"Ossenzijl\\\", supplies the underlying reed land of the Weerribben with water. The mill was built in 1977 and was often used to drain small plots. The tjasker is still used to provide water to the underlying reedlands of the Weerribben. Car enthusiasts will get their money's worth when they get off their bike at Histo Mobil. Here you can admire a large collection of historic cars, construction equipment, church brigs and all kinds of other means of transport.