Termunten

Termunten's origins are on a mound on the Eems estuary. The Ursuskerk (Ursus Church) dates from the thirteenth century and was built on the foundations of the 12th century cruciform church. The current tower dates from 1951; the mediaeval tower, which stood apart from the church, collapsed in the 19th century.The Dollard area was once an inhabited peat district which was almost completely swept away by the many floods and storm surges of the late Middle Ages. The sea washed over the current Oldambt area, and many settlements, such as Midwolda, Scheemda, Muntendam, Blijham, were moved to higher grounds. After the dyke break of 1509, something changed in the water flow in the area, resulting in lower water levels in times of flooding. A process started in which more land was created and the time had come to create dykes in the area. The fertile clay soil of the Dollard would make the Oldambt area prosperous. The Dollard is now a tidal landscape with brackish water and because of that a fairly special place in Europe.De punt van Reide is an old river bank of the Eems that has resisted the violent flows of the Dollard waters and now forms a spit of land outside of the dykes. A start was made to dig a canal here, but the project was suspended. The sluice that had already been placed was removed and one canal dyke was used for the later Delta dyke. This is how the Breebart Polder came into existnece. Because of the construction of a culvert, salt water could flow in, resulting in the return of the salt marsh vegetation. It is an area rich in fish and birds.