Cultural History, Routes and Nature in Oostermeer

Oostermeer combines architectural and local history with routes and opportunities to observe nature. Situated between two bodies of water, the village can be explored through its historic buildings as well as its varied paths and landscapes. To help plan your trip, here are some practical pointers for discovering cultural history and nature as distinct highlights.

Location and landscape

Oostermeer lies between Bergumermeer to the north and De Leijen to the south. This historic harbour village is part of the Noardlike Fryske Wâlden National Landscape and also has a harbour. De Leijen is a shallow lake formed by peat extraction. The landscape is therefore a reminder of an important historical use of the surrounding area and also serves as a reference point for several descriptions of nature and routes.

The village’s history is also linked to peat: in the 17th century, Oostermeer developed into a peat-cutting village after the peat bogs southwest of the village were worked. This development provides a historical link to De Leijen, which was also formed through peat extraction. Local history and landscape are therefore not merely side by side; they can be understood through the same economic past.

Church and local history

The Dutch Reformed hall church at Torenlaan 14 was built in 1868 and is of cultural and architectural historical significance. Its clock mechanism dates from 1924 and was made by the Van Bergen brothers of Midwolda. The year of construction and the clock mechanism point to two different periods in the building’s history.

Another link to cultural history is the Dam Jaarsma Hûs, a 19th-century house named after Dam Jaarsma. The Frisian-language writer and poet collected Frisian folk tales; his collection includes almost 16,000 tales and legends. The house and its namesake thus connect local history with the storytelling tradition passed down in Friesland.

E.M. Beimastraat is a useful point of reference for the village’s monumental and distinctive buildings: it has the largest concentration of them. Another memorial stands in the cemetery near Hoogzand. The monument bears the names of those affected and inscriptions in Polish and Dutch, and commemorates the event and their fight for freedom.

Routes with different highlights

Stage 7 of the Bonifatius Kloosterpad reaches Oostermeer and is classified as a nature, leisure and pilgrimage route. The “Historie en natuur in Eastermar” route offers a view across the Burgumer Mar. These descriptions highlight different features: one route’s thematic classification is specified, while the other’s view is highlighted as a concrete feature.

The Streekpad Noardlike Fryske Wâlden passes through Oostermeer and continues to De Leijen. The connection between the village and the lake is therefore explicitly part of the route. Together with stage 7 and the “Historie en natuur in Eastermar” route, this offers several different route options without reducing them to a single highlight: pilgrimage and leisure, a view across the Burgumer Mar, or the onward route to De Leijen.

Nature watching and water

At the De Leijen – Malewei viewpoint, large groups of ducks can be observed in winter, including wigeons and teals; goldeneyes are also seen there. In recent years, a great grey shrike has also been spotted there in winter. In spring and summer, marsh harriers can be seen hunting. The seasons therefore bring different sightings: ducks and possible sightings of the great grey shrike in winter, compared with marsh harriers in the warmer months.

The Dykswâlen also have a clearly defined role for wildlife: they provide cover for roe deer, foxes, stone martens, polecats, stoats, weasels and various species of mouse. Those comparing different nature experiences will find a different perspective here from the one at the viewpoint: there, seasonal sightings by the water are the focus, while the Dykswâlen are described as a refuge for several animal species.

On the water, SUP tours offer another option: Gerbrich's SUP verhuur offers tours on De Lits, De Leyen and the Burgumer Mar. Visitors can rent a board in Oostermeer and set off from there to De Leyen or along the reed-lined shores of the Burgumer Mar. Check availability before your trip. The village’s connections with the water, its harbour and the SUP options mentioned here complement one another, but do not serve the same purpose.

Discover more destinations: Hardegarijp, Jistrum, Wyns, Noardburgum, Ryptsjerk, Burgum, Sumar, Aldtsjerk.

For the broader travel overview: Tytsjerksteradiel.