De Alde Feanen National Park XL Hiking Trail

This hiking trail takes you through the varied landscapes of De Alde Feanen National Park. You get to see canals, pits left by peat cutting and stretches of open water, as well as vast reed beds and dense swamp forests. You are also surrounded by beautiful panoramic views of Frisian meadows along the way. 

The route starts at the visitor centre at De Alde Feanen National Park. From here, you walk along Koaidyk road to junction 80. Before long, you are on a dirt track that leads to Lytse Mear lake. Here you will find the first of several bird-watching hides on this route. The bird-watching hide in the Jan Durkspolder wetland reserve is a few hundred metres to the left of 

junction 91. Here you can spot rare birds all year round. The opposite bank is a nesting site for a colony of Eurasian spoonbills. As you walk along the surfaced and shell-paved trails you are surrounded by panoramic views. With a bit of luck, you may even spot a hare or a deer. The last part of the route takes you through the It Wikelslân nature reserve at De Alde Feanen National Park, where you can see and hear many birds all year round. Binoculars come in handy if you want to watch birds from the hides!

The ‘Hin en Wer’ ferry just past junction 53 takes you back to the visitor centre.
(Please note! The ferry doesn’t run in the winter. Current ferry sailing times can be found at www.de8vangrou.nl/vaartijden.)