If you visit the beautiful province of Friesland, you can’t miss one of the Netherland’s twenty national parks (and one of the most beautiful wetlands in Northwestern Europe): De Alde Feanen. This stunning natural reserve is not only one of the most beautiful wetlands in Northwestern Europe but also a sanctuary for wildlife and a must-visit for nature lovers.

Discover Alde Feanen: A Natural Gem in Friesland

Between Leeuwarden and Drachten, and many small villages with curious fairytale names (Grou, Suwâld, Earnewâld, Garyp), this park is a jewel due to its unique landscape. According to Alde Feanen website: ” De Alde Feanen National Park spans over 4,000 hectares. Once a raised bog, De Alde Feanen is now a low moor swamp like there are few left, with reed land, swamp forest, canals, rivers, lakes, islands and polders.” De Alde Feanen is part of the ‘Lege Midden van Fryslân’ (empty middle of Friesland); this is a low-lying peatland situated between two different areas: the higher sandy soils on the east and the clay soils to the north and west.

The peat in Alde Feanen was important in the development of this area. Intensive peat extraction took place up until 19th century, transforming the landscape to what we see today. Initially, the peat extraction left the area completely barren, with no vegetation, while all the digging led to flooding, which created canals and lakes. Slowly, nature started reappearing and taking over the land. The edges of De Alde Feanen were transformed by man into meadows and hay fields, for agriculture. However, farming wasn’t a lucrative business here, because of the particular landscape, therefore, around 1915, tourism and recreational water sports started taking over, which led to what we know today as the National Park De Alde Feanen (it was included in the list of national parks in the Netherlands in 2006).

Flora and fauna in Alde Feanen Park

The park is home to approximately 450 species of plants, including the rare bluegrass, orchids, water lilies . For bird enthusiasts, De Alde Feanen is a paradise. Over 100 species of birds breed here, including the elusive bittern, a thriving colony of cormorants, and the majestic bald eagle. The white stork, perhaps the most iconic bird of the area, is so prevalent that the park even hosts a stork breeding station. There are 20 species of fish, and otters, deer and other small animals.

Exploring De Alde Feanen

The best way to visit De Alde Feanen is probably by boat – there are 425 hectares of surface water, so you can use the boat to move in between and discover the little islands (peat bogs). Water sports enthusiasts are in their element here. The park can also be discovered on foot or by bike. We visited the park on foot, on a windy day and under the menacing clouds, skilfully avoiding the rain. The park was green and the waters dark. The overcast sky was a great match for the swamp forests; you could almost imagine you were somewhere in Louisiana. Nature is amazing!

Spring flowers were in full bloom and we’ve seen some birds but no wild animals. I kept looking for the deer, who remained well hidden. We found a watching tower and loved the view: you could see a big part of the park from there. Another thing I liked in the park were the houseboats parked at the edge of the water; I wouldn’t mind having one of those as a holiday home (I assume that’s what they were).

I hope I will come back to De Alde Feanen someday to see it by boat. There is also a lot more of the Friesland province to discover, together with the neighbouring Drenthe and Groningen, where I’ve never been. Staycation never gets boring when you live in the Netherlands!

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