Nederland - De Alde Feanen

Nationaal Park De Alde Feanen (meaning: The Old Fenlands) is one of the twenty national parks in the Netherlands. The park is located in the heart of the province of Friesland. De Alde Feanen is a unique area; a result of the peat excavations, which were carried out here in the past. Nowadays it is an area of freshwater lakes, reed lands, forested marshland and grasslands.

The park contains approximately 425 hectares of surface water, about the same as 650 football pitches! It consists of ditches, canals, peat pit ponds, other ponds and lakes. The reed beds in De Alde Feanen cover a significant part of the total surface, with extensive belts occurring alongside the open waters of lakes and smaller water bodies. In the area at least 450 plant species and 100 bird species can be found.

Since 1934 De Alde Feanen is owned by It Fryske Gea, a provincial nature protection organisation in the province of Friesland. The park can be visited free of charge.