Enjoy the Weerribben and Wieden

In the Kop van Overijssel you can cycle through one of the most beautiful and quietest nature reserves in the Netherlands: Weerribben-Wieden National Park. You also drive through old mining villages and the island of Ronduite.

Handmade
However rugged the Weerribben and Wieden may look, every square meter of this original peat area has been excavated by people for the peat over three centuries. From the bike you have a beautiful view of that wonderful mix of swamp forests, reed fields and flowery hay meadows. The Wieden mainly differs from the Weerribben because of its larger lakes, such as the Beulakerwijde and Belterwijde. Both lakes were created by storm tides in 1775, 1776 and 1825. De Foeke, a tsjasker from 1968, is located on the Beulakerwijde.

Picturesque Blokzijl
In this area you also drive through some beautiful hamlets that arose here as a result of peat extraction, such as Dwarsgracht and Nederland, two sailing villages that were originally only accessible by water. Blokzijl is a charming town that enjoys a protected village view because of the beautiful historic buildings on the harbor.

Neighborhood Ronduite
From the road that separates the Beulakerwijde and Belterwijde, you have beautiful views over the water. This road, the Veneweg, has been running between the two lakes since 1775. It formed an important connecting road through the peat area between Meppel and Vollenhove. The hamlet of Ronduite is located on a peninsula in the middle between the two banks. The name refers to the redoubt (military fortification) that once lay here. On December 6, 1944, an American bomber crashed in Ronduite. Of the eight occupants, one was killed, the other seven were taken prisoner.