Sintjohannesga: Mills, Monuments and Nature

When planning your stay in Sintjohannesga, you can focus on different themes: architectural and church history, memorial sites, or nature and leisure destinations in the surrounding area. The following highlights can help you choose the topics that interest you most.

Mills and Water Management

De Hersteller was built in 1857 to drain the Sintjohannesgaaster Veenpolders. Of five similar mills, it is the last and only surviving example; it was restored in 1981. Its year of construction, purpose and state of preservation each tell a different part of its history. Gemaal De Grie also offers an architectural point of interest: it shows influences of interwar architecture and is considered architecturally valuable. At De Hersteller, the focus is on its original purpose and the surviving group of mills; at De Grie, it is on its architectural classification.

Church Site and Historic Farmhouses

The history of the present-day cemetery dates back to 1608, when it was established at this location. A church was built there two years later. The current Johannestsjerke was put into use on 1 December 1963, the first Sunday of Advent. These dates distinguish the site’s early history from the later opening of the present-day church.

The farmhouses also offer concrete insights into regional architectural history. Streek 2 is a medium-sized farm of a type characteristic of the region. Its front house was built in 1826 and is now a Rijksmonument. A tiled room with wood-grained bed alcove walls has been preserved in the house, along with a partly marbled chimney breast and partly marbled skirting boards. These details make the interior recognizable as part of the surviving furnishings. Streek 4 offers a different emphasis, with Neoclassical elements. Taken together, the building type, preserved interior furnishings and architectural elements offer different ways to understand the farmhouses.

Memorial Sites in Sintjohannesga

The Sintjohannesga war memorial is a memorial stone. It commemorates five residents who died as a result of acts of war during the years of occupation. Another memorial is dedicated to resistance fighter Richard Jung: his monument is a column bearing a relief of the Czechoslovak lion and an inset black plaque. The column stands on Jung’s grave. An information board about him is located at the entrance to the Sintjohannesga cemetery.

The monuments offer different focuses for remembrance: the memorial stone commemorates five residents, while the Richard Jung monument commemorates one person and his grave. Anyone interested in the history of remembrance in the area will find both a collective and a personal memorial theme.

Nature and Activities in the Surrounding Area

South of Sintjohannesga, the Easterskar nature reserve lies nearby. This lowland bog area has extensive reed beds, species-rich grasslands and swamp forest. There are opportunities to walk along old peat-cutting pits, through the swamp forest and to a viewpoint at a birdwatching hut. The Skiere Goes hut offers views of an area rich in birdlife. Around 90 bird species breed in Easterskar in spring. The landscape, walks and birdwatching come together here, though no walking time or distance is specified.

At Nannewiid, nearby, there are opportunities for swimming, fishing, canoeing, sailing and windsurfing; in winter, ice skating is also an option. Specific facilities and conditions may vary. In contrast to Easterskar, where walks and birdwatching shape the nature experience, Nannewiid focuses on water sports and winter activities.

Cycle the Memorial Route

The 17.6-kilometre Herdenkingsroute rondom Joure cycle route passes through Sintjohannesga. Its stop in the village includes a cemetery with war graves. This makes it possible to connect the bike ride with local remembrance. The information board about Richard Jung at the cemetery entrance adds a specific monument theme to this connection. The route and the memorial sites offer different perspectives: the route provides the framework for a bike ride, while the monuments bring individual aspects of local history into view.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Legemeer, Rohel, Rotsterhaule, Idskenhuizen, Oldeouwer, Sint Nicolaasga, Teroele, Terkaple

For the overview of the wider travel area: Skarsterlân.