Alde Feanen

The area consists mainly of lakes, peat ponds, quarries, reed beds, nutrient-poor grasslands, scrublands, thickets, and swamp forests. There are also quaking bogs, sphagnum-rich reed beds, bluegrass meadows, and marsh marigold hayfields. The latter landscape types are rare on a national scale and are threatened with extinction. Low-lying peat bogs are considered among the richest and most diverse natural areas in Northwestern Europe.


The diversity of plant and animal species is exceptionally high here, as it is in De Alde Feanen. For example, some 450 different plant species occur in De Alde Feanen. That is more than half of all plant species found in Fryslân.
Due to its location and diversity, De Alde Feanen is of enormous importance to waterfowl, marsh birds, and meadow birds. Many birds breed here during the summer months. To date, more than 100 species have been observed. The wetland is an indispensable stopover for numerous migratory birds and winter visitors.


De Alde Feanen is characterized by its wide pools and intimate canals and waterways. Nearly all the water bodies bear witness to past peat extraction activities; in some watercourses, the pre-peat extraction landscape is still recognizable.
The landscape of De Alde Feanen is largely defined by reed beds. Most of these are mowed annually.

View from the observation tower.

The ferry in Earnewald: €0.80 per person



Along the Lange Sleatten