Fen route through the Groote Peel

Your walking route starts at B&B En Fiets-En Wandelcafé Peelvennen. Today you will discover the fens on the north side of the Groote Peel, which you will not easily reach from the Buitencentrum. The raised peat bog, of which De Groote Peel National Park is a remnant, used to cover approximately 30,000 hectares. Most of this raised bog area disappeared due to peat extraction and the clearing of agricultural land, but the 4,000 hectares that remained intact retained its natural ruggedness. The traces of peat extraction add a cultural-historical dimension and also a landscape dimension: nature has become more varied, with large water ponds, small peat wells and peeling canals. Rare butterflies and dragonflies live here, but also special breeding birds, including the black-necked grebe, the nightjar and the bittern, which hide among the reeds.