Tour around the Rottige Meente

This route takes you through the Weerribben and along the Rottige Meente. Besides the fact that these two nature reserves were created by peat extraction, they share another important characteristic: it is wonderfully quiet.

Rotten Meente
You cycle for a while along the Linde, a river that in this part forms the border between Overijssel and Friesland. On your right is De Rottige Meente, a nature reserve where you see a mosaic of water and land, reeds and flowering grasslands. This area is home to otters that have come to swim from the nearby Weerribben. At the intersection of the Grindweg and Pieter Stuyvesantweg you pass the monument for Stuyvesant, the pastor's son who grew up in Scherpenzeel.

Sailing villages
The Weerribben is one of the most beautiful nature reserves in the Netherlands. And one of the quietest. In this swampy swamp area you drive past endless reed fields, swamp forests and watercourses. You will also pass through characteristic sailing villages such as the Netherlands, Wetering and Ossenzijl, where the thatched farmhouses often have black wooden walls. The route ends at Restaurant Ant Waeter where you can enjoy a quiet meal on the terrace on the water.

Historic buildings and mills
There are two striking monumental mills on the Rottige Meente. De Reiger is a former polder mill from 1871. Nowadays the mill has a residential function. De Rietvink dates from 1855 and is a fully operational polder mill. On the Hoogeweg you will find De Wicher, a spider mill from 1982, and the Tjasker Kalenberg from 1963 and the Tjasker Ossenzijl from 1977. You will also see a dyer's house and several nineteenth-century farm workers' houses on this road. Small farmers once lived here who earned money in the winter by cutting reeds or digging peat. Would you also like to explore the Weerribben on foot? Then walk route 343920.