Cycling along the water

This route of more than 50 kilometers takes you through picturesque villages and through a wetland area called'De Kop van Overijssel\\\'. This beautiful nature reserve is characterized by lakes, gullies, canals, extensive reed fields, but also flowery hay meadows and dense swamp forests. Cycling through De Wieden, you can fully enjoy the calm waters, but also the activity that fits the many marinas in this area. Together with De Weerribben, De Wieden forms one of the most important marsh areas in Europe. This polder area has been extensively excavated throughout history due to peat extraction. This has created vast reed fields, flowery hay fields. Water, a lot of water, in the form of gullies, lakes, ponds, canals and fens stimulates the growth of special plants. The swamps are densely vegetated and here you will encounter pine wolf claw, swamp wolf claw, blond sedge and slender woolly grass. Fish eaters such as the cormorant, the Curlew, the black tern and the purple heron get their food from the waters of De Wieden, but other birds of prey also hunt here. The marsh harrier and rare short-eared owl make their prey on the quaking bogs, blue grasslands and moors. If you prefer culture, Landgoed Oldenhof offers a welcome change. The stately manor house was built around 1635, but since then the country estate has been regularly inhabited, renovated, renovated, restored and further developed. The white house has a beautiful forecourt and is surrounded by a canal, a large garden and an attractive park forest. There are also two farmsteads on the estate that, together with their lands, complete the estate. Another beautiful sight is the Monnikenmolen in Sint Jansklooster. The tower mill, built in 1857, is covered with thatch. This mill also functioned and still functions as a corn mill.