Opsterland: Discover nature, waterways and culture

Forests and heathland are just as much a part of Opsterland’s landscape as nature reserves, grassland, canals and peatland. As you explore the municipality, you’ll encounter a variety of landscapes as well as traces of its history—along trails, waterways and in museums.

Heathland, forest and trails

In the Mandefjild, heathland, forest and small bodies of water come together; former drifting sand areas also shape the landscape. Mandefjild has Natura 2000 status. The Wijnjeterperschar offers a different mix: here you’ll find wet and dry heathland, nutrient-poor meadows, small bodies of water and an old meander of the Boorne. A three-kilometre poetry trail runs through the area and features fifteen poems by well-known writers. It’s a way to combine the landscape with a literary trail.

In the Bakkefeansterdunen area, hiking routes of 1.5, 3.5 and 8 kilometres can be combined. The different route lengths let you choose a shorter or longer loop; check the route details before setting off. The Opsterland hiking trail network also lets you create your own routes from junction to junction. The trails lead through forests and pastures, as well as areas rich in the municipality’s history. The cycling network follows the same junction-based system, connecting landscapes and villages on routes you put together yourself.

There are horse-riding trails, especially around Wijnjewoude. At tourist transfer points, visitors can park and start their route by bike or on foot. These points offer a practical starting place if you’d like to explore beyond travelling by car.

Waterways and their history

The Turfroute is a boating route that runs through parts of Opsterland. In 2015, the Polderhoofdkanaal reconnected the Turfroute with De Alde Feanen National Park. The Opsterlandse Compagnonsvaart has nine locks between Gorredijk and Appelscha. Construction of this waterway began near Gorredijk in 1630 to transport peat. The waterways also tell the story of how the landscape was used in the past.

The Sudergemaal is south of Nij Beets, right on the Turfroute. Built in 1924 as one of Friesland’s first electric pumping stations, it remains almost entirely in its original condition. Visitors can moor there and continue on foot to Nij Beets. Check this visiting option locally before setting off. Its location on the route and preserved technical features make the pumping station a special stop for anyone interested in water management and industrial history.

Museums, memorials and architectural history

At the Museum Opsterlân in Gorredijk, the permanent exhibition features the Wijnjeterp hand axe, dated to 150,000 BC. At the open-air museum It Damshûs, you can explore the past from a different perspective: peat workers’ cottages, a church, the peat contractor’s pub, a small mill and other buildings have been reconstructed at a 1:1 scale.

You can also trace architectural history at specific sites. Huize Olterterp Park was once part of the Olterterp estate; the present-day country house replaced the former castle in 1907. In Gorredijk, the Joods Monument commemorates the town’s Jewish residents who lost their lives during the Second World War. These sites offer different perspectives, from architecture and rural life in the past to remembrance.

In Tijnje, Kaasboerderij De Gelder offers guided tours. They explain how the business came about and the process from grass to cheese. Visits are available by appointment or as part of scheduled open tours. If you plan to stop here, check which type of visit is available. For road access, the A7 motorway and the N381 provincial road cross Opsterland. You can choose which places and themes to focus on to suit the municipality’s nature, waterways and cultural attractions.

Discover more destinations: Hemrik, Tijnje, Gorredijk, Jonkerslan, Lippenhuizen, Olterterp, Wijnjewoude, Bakkeveen, Frieschepalen, Beetsterzwaag.

Go to the regional travel overview: Friesland.