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Ten Noorden van Dokkum
North of Dokkum is a beautiful and largely undiscovered area. The landscape is characterized by beautiful views, picturesque mound villages, ancient churches, different types of windmills, stately farms, meandering streams and old dikes.
The coastal strip is dominated by the impressive seadike. This was brought to Delta height in the 1970s (5 meters above sea level). With that, the fight against the water seemed definitively decided. But it is now clear that the dike will still have to be raised in the future. The salt marshes are situated outside the dikes, which are only flooded during storms and extremely high tides. Immediately behind the dike are the villages of Wierum, Paesens, and Moddergat. The fishing history and heritage is still clearly felt and visible here. There are two impressive monuments on the dike at Wierum and Moddergat that remind you of the great fishing disasters that took place here at the end of the nineteenth century. The ancient church of Wierum is almost against the modern, sleek seadike, which produces a beautiful contrasting image.
To the west lie Ternaard and Holwerd. A new dike was constructed here to the north of the old dike. A road runs over the old dike that offers a beautiful view of the old and the new land. The road from Holwerd to Dokkum leads over a few mounds with small villages on top. One of them is Foudgum, where the poet Francois HaverSchmidt, aka Piet Paaltjens, was a pastor from 1859 to 1863. The parsonage is now a Bed and Breakfast.
The coastal strip is formed by an old salt marsh. Due to the higher location, mainly arable farming takes place here. Further inland the land is lower and there is talk of animal husbandry. It is a beautiful, unspoilt terpen-landscape (terp = mound) where you can relax while cycling or walking. It is not for nothing that a Buddhist meditation center is located here, just south of Hantum. The building in the shape of an Indian "stupa" (temple) has an alienating effect in this environment and is worth a visit for that reason alone.
The river Peasens meanders through the area. In 1860 an "awesome great fish" was discovered in it. After a fierce battle that lasted two days, the 2.60-meter sturgeon was caught on the way to Niawier. The meat (and the caviar?) Was sold to a number of wealthy Kollumers. The skin of the beast was filled with straw and can still be admired today in the community center of Niawier.
Colofon
FrieslandWonderland
