Tour of the raised bog: the Elsenerveld and peat

Your route starts at Camping & Restaurant De Poppe. From here you take a beautiful walk to the Elsenerveld and -veen, a real piece of raised bog. The peat area was created during the last ice age, when meltwater from higher parts of Europe flowed to the Netherlands. You will find gentian, sundew and cotton grass there. Many birds live in the area where peace prevails: pheasants, tree creepers, various types of tits and woodpeckers, for example. It is part of De Borkeld, a rolling nature reserve where you can see an extensive heathland with juniper bushes. Unfortunately, the Elsenerveen has been drying out in recent years, which threatens the special vegetation. Instead of the water birds that belong to the wet peat area, you now see more and more birches, which also absorb a lot of water.