Straight through the Weerribben NP

Open water, reed lands, swamp forests... It is not without reason that De Weerribben won the title 'Most Beautiful Place in the Netherlands' in 2004. The Weerribben are covered with beautiful plants and a variety of special animal species live in this area. The carnivorous bladderwort often floats in large masses on the fens, lakes and ponds, but crabgrass, water lilies and water hemlock also thrive here. In the reed land you will encounter cheerful colors of wild herbs, including fireweed, skullcap, marsh buckthorn and bindweed, while grasses, heath, peat moss, sundew and marsh sera leaf grow on acidifying reed land. Mammals that you see roaming through the swamps and fields are deer, foxes and the reintroduced otter. In addition, various butterfly and dragonfly species flutter from plant to plant and chase the purple heron, black tern, bittern, reed warbler, sedge warbler and oriole in and around the water. The nature of Weerribben-Wieden National Park was created under the influence of humans. From the twelfth century onwards, dikes were constructed to reduce the influence of the Zuiderzee and to prepare the land for habitation. After the discovery that dried peat was a good fuel, peat was dug in the Wieden for centuries, creating long, wide extraction holes. In the Weerribben, peat extraction started later and rules were imposed. Large puddles have therefore not formed in the Weerribben, but the area is still rich in water. In the De Weerribben nature activity center there is a permanent exhibition that tells you everything about the origins of this nature reserve and its flora and fauna. The route starts and ends at Restaurant An\\\'t Waeter. If you want to stay even closer to nature, you can also go to the mini-campsite instead of renting a room. Relax in a remote rural area, but still close to the conviviality of the surrounding villages. When you return from this cycle route, enjoy a snack and a drink on the terrace or restaurant. You can combine this cycle route with cycle tour 139869, which also starts at Restaurant An\\\'t Waeter. This way you can explore the most beautiful places in De Weerribben-De Wieden National Park in two days.