Rinsumageast: Churches, Monastery History and Eeltsjemar

If you are looking for a hotel in Rinsumageast, you can use your travel interests as a starting point: church architecture, historic building styles, monastery history or activities on the water. The historic sites and routes each have their own thematic focus. Eeltsjemar adds to this selection as a recreational area with a beach and water sports. This allows you to plan your trip around what interests you most.

Church architecture and historic sites

The Alexanderkerk is one of the few two-aisled church buildings in the Frisian countryside. It was created by extending a 12th-century tuff-stone church nave in the late Gothic period. A distinctive architectural feature is the crypt beneath the raised choir. The Alexanderkerk is the only church in Noord-Nederland with a crypt, which has groin vaults. The church brings together several different features: its two-aisled design, the late Gothic extension and the unusual space beneath the choir.

The Tjaardastate complex also offers a distinctive perspective on historic building styles. It includes a Kop-Hals-Rump farmhouse, built using traditional craftsmanship around the third quarter of the 19th century. The complex also includes a dovecote with a small-animal shelter. This building was likewise constructed using traditional craftsmanship, but is dated to around 1820 to 1840. The two dates show that different building phases are represented within the complex; the farmhouse is newer than the dovecote with small-animal shelter.

Klooster Klaarkamp and its history

Klooster Klaarkamp was built around 1165 on a raised terp in the flat salt-marsh landscape. The monastery complex included a monastery church, a cloister garth, living and sleeping quarters, kitchens and the abbot’s accommodation. Alongside the church, the site therefore included rooms for communal and everyday life in the monastery. The site contains remains of a Cistercian monastery as well as remains of a terp dating from the late Iron Age or Roman period. The terp remains represent a much older period than the monastery’s history.

Relaxation and activities at Eeltsjemar

Eeltsjemar is a recreational area in Rinsumageast. It has a beach, children’s play equipment, a car park and sanitary facilities. Visitors can swim, surf or sail at Eeltsjemar. So, in addition to spending time on the beach, there are several activities to choose from on the water. If you are planning a visit, check the local conditions and any restrictions on water use. Conditions at the visitor facilities may also change.

Choose routes by theme

The Rondjes om de kerk route includes a visit to the medieval Alexanderkerk. Another route is 16.5 km long and connects the Klaarkampster Mar with Claercamp’s rich history. The two routes therefore have different thematic focuses: the Alexanderkerk is the main focus of Rondjes om de kerk, while the 16.5 km route connects the Klaarkampster Mar and Claercamp. You can choose between the routes based on which of these themes is relevant to your plans. As route conditions may change, it is advisable to check them before setting out.

Discover more destinations: Broeksterwald, De Falom, Veenwouden, Sibrandahûs.

Return to the overview of destinations: Dantumadiel.