De Alde Feanen is the Frisian name for De Oude Venen. Centuries-old peat plays the leading role in the history of this beautiful area. Lakes, cap holes, stripes, reed beds, bogs, marshes, thickets, swamp forests and extensive hay meadows. A beautiful cultural landscape turned into nature with one of the largest wetlands in Western Europe of no less than 4,000 hectares as its showpiece. The area was once referred to as onland where residents lived a poverty-stricken existence. Over the centuries, under the influence of man, it has been recreated into this unique landscape. National Park De Alde Feanen in the heart of Friesland has a wide variety of landscape types with an enormous wealth of plants and animals.
The varied nature reserve’s vastness and almost unobstructed horizon give an impression of the Frisian landscape of earlier times. The area has more than 100 species of breeding birds and more than 450 species of plants. Fortunately, there is also plenty of room for people because people and nature go together just fine in De Alde Feanen. Walking, biking, but especially boating, this natural area is wonderful to explore. ‘Looking with different eyes’ can be done anywhere, but especially from the seven bird-watching huts and two observation towers. With a little luck, you can spot the bald eagle, the osprey or the beautiful kingfisher, among others.
To help you enjoy National Park the Alde Feanen to the fullest you will find on this website all the information about all the hiking, cycling, boating, canoeing & SUP possibilities that this beautiful area offers you. If you have a cell phone with internet please refer to our hiking, biking & boating app. In this way, you will be assured of the most beautiful routes and will also find all relevant information about sailing times of bicycle ferries, bird-watching huts, observation towers and other places of interest.
Of course, for all information about National Park De Alde Feanen, you can also visit the visitor center De Alde Feanen. A large number of nature excursions are also organized in the area from the De Alde Feanen visitor center.
