©: FrieslandWonderland

Friesland is more than just lakes, mounds, dikes and the Eleven cities, it is also an area of ​​peat reclamation, heathlands, forests, and streams. Together they form the unique landscape of Southeast Friesland.

It is here that Friesland slowly changes transforms into Drenthe and Overijssel. In terms of landscape, but also in terms of cultural history and language. South of the river Tsjonger is the " Stellingwerven", which were independent until 1504. A large part of the population speaks Stellingwerfs, a language that is more related to Drents, Gronings and Flat German than to Frisian.

Southeast Friesland houses a number of well-known touristic highlights: Bakkeveen, Appelscha, the Drents Friese Wold, Noordwolde, Oldeberkoop, Beetsterzwaag, and Oranjewoud. There you will find beautiful woodland and heathland areas, stately country houses, extensive cycling and walking paths, galleries, museums and attractions for children. But the less well-known parts of the area are also very worthwhile. Take for example "De Frije Wiken", a beautiful and still largely undiscovered area between the Opsterlandse Compagnonsvaart and De Tsjonger. Just like in De Grote Veenpolder, west of Wolvega, cultural history and nature merge almost unnoticed. The large-scale peat extraction in both areas has also led to a system of waterways, which nowadays form part of the Turfroute, a beautiful recreational boating route through Southeast Friesland, Southwest Drenthe and Northwest Overijssel.

Colofon

FrieslandWonderland

© Foto voorblad: FrieslandWonderland