Nederland - De Onlanden

De Onlanden is a 2.500 ha nature and water storage area, which is enclosed between the sand of Drenthe and the clay of Groningen. It is a low moor area, where water from several brooks used to be stored before flowing to the sea. In earlier times it was one large peat area. Nobody could pass through it and it was unsuitable for agriculture.

It was not until the Middle Ages that the first attempts to dewater the area were made. Slowly they succeeded in lowering the water level and systematically the area could be put into use; first only in the summer and from the 19th century onwards throughout the year, although sometimes the moorland was completely flooded. During the last century, the area has been fully used as pastureland.

In 2004 plans were made to give the area back to nature. Nowadays it has changed into an immense wet world with grasslands, swamps, marsh forests and creeks. Brooks flow again through De Onlanden and a swamp is developing develop with naturally changing water levels.

De Onlanden itself are difficult to visit, but we did find one path - Onlandsedijk - through the swamp with a lot of reed, but also with several species of flowers.