National Landscape Southwest Friesland

The Southwest Fryslân National Landscape has a size of 51420 hectares and is one of the twenty National Landscapes in the Netherlands. The area can be divided into three parts: The IJselmeer coast, Gaasterland and the peat area with southwestern Frisian lakes. The Gaasterland is a wooded area, in which, among other things, finger helmet flower, wood anemone, collar anemone and wild garlic grow and bloom luxuriantly. The most important breeding bird that builds its nest in the spring is the sand martin. This bird breeds in colonies in self-dug cavities, instead of building a traditional nest in the treetops. When the route starts, you will pass the Memorial Plaque Killed Inhabitants of Gaasterland. A memorial plaque commemorates fallen soldiers from the Second World War. Continue your way to the bell tower, which stands on a small hill in a small cemetery. In 1949 the bell tower was destroyed by a storm. A new belfry was later purchased and Yndyk has been in possession of a belfry again since 1978. If you do not have a sailing licence, you can still rent a motorboat at Jachtcharter Klompmaker to take a trip on the Frisian lakes. Enjoy the small rivers in Friesland or the IJsselmeer. The boats are cosily furnished and have silent engines so that you can get a breath of fresh air in nature. Later you cycle past mill't Lam, a tower mill from 1698. This mill was used as a corn and hulling mill. The first repair took place in 1775 and the mill remained functional until the Second World War. Because the position was poorly maintained, the mill was restored in 1948. Restoration work was also carried out in 1970. Since the mill was reopened in 2000, it has been running regularly again on a voluntary basis. Another nice mill is Doris Mooltsje. This spider head was built in 1790. It is a showpiece in the beautiful landscape at a very popular location, because the mill and the landscape give each other extra atmosphere. The mill was largely demolished in 1934, because the rods were no longer needed since a diesel engine was installed in the mill. In 1992, a restoration was started, which was to return the Doris Mooltsje to its original state. This work was completed a year later. In Nijhuizum (hull/remainder) there is also a spider head, but the year of construction of the mill remains unknown. What is known is that this mill was used as a polder mill to drain the nearby Monkenburen polder. A diesel engine was installed before 1940 and was later automated around 1972. If you want to view the inside of the mill, you can do so when it is running. The last mill of the cycle tour is called De Vlijt and is a tower mill built in 1986. The mill has not been renovated or automated for a long time. For example, a hatch was only installed in 2013, until then the miller had to carry the regrind upstairs himself. The corn mill is open when the mill is running, but there are no fixed times for this. Finally, you conclude the cycling tour with two war memorials: War Memorial Begraafplaats Koudum remembers the victims who fell during the Second World War and the war in the Dutch East Indies and Monument Hampden AE 248 was erected in memory of a World War II bomber shot down.