The Ziltepad
A pilgrimage along the rugged edge of the north
On Groningen's Wadden coast, Het Ziltepad takes you past characteristic villages and right through nature. On a path connected by centuries-old churches, the long-distance route runs from the tip of North Holland from Den Helder to Termunten in Groningen. Over 400 kilometres along the rugged edge of the north. Of the 15 stages that make up the route, six are in Groningen. In April, there will be 22 in total. The stages are between 15 and 25 kilometres long and can be completed by bicycle or on foot. Download the special route booklets, be guided by the church towers that rise like beacons above the landscape and take a look inside the churches: the doors are open for you.
From church to church
There are various ways to follow the Ziltepad. The entire route is divided into stages, each starting at a different church. These stages make the journey more manageable; this way, you can break the Ziltepad down into sections. Depending on how much time you have and what you fancy, you can choose how many stages you walk or cycle. The churches along the route are all accessible. In winter, you can visit the churches by collecting the key from the designated key collection point, as indicated next to the church door. Three guides are available for you in the churches: an inspiration and meditation guide, the Ziltepad Menu Guide for local produce, and the Ziltepad route guide. There is also a stamp booklet, which you can use to collect a new stamp at each church. You can spend the night in cosy hotels and B&Bs, at a local resident’s home, or – like a true pilgrim – in the church. In addition to the stages, there are also general circular walks around the location of each stage.
“ ‘You’ve only truly been somewhere if you’ve been there on foot’ ”
The Groningen stages
Vierhuizen | Stage 15
Circular walk 13.7 km | To Lauwersoog (19.1 km) or Hornhuizen (11.2 km) | Next to the old pastorie, which now serves as a B&B, the church of Vierhuizen stands proudly atop a mound. And that is just the starting point for the routes in this area. Walk past centuries-old remains of submerged villages, across salt marsh ridges and through the farmland to Hornhuizen. Take in the stunning natural scenery at Lauwersoog or head to Houwerzijl for a visit to de Theefabriek.
Discover the stage
Hornhuizen | Stage 16
14 km circular walk | To Vierhuizen (11.2 km) or Pieterburen (13.9 km) | A glance at the map reveals that there is something rather unusual about the roads and villages in North Groningen. They lie neatly in a row, like the scales of a pine cone. The waves of the sea have left their mark on the landscape. This is also the case in Hornhuizen. With the yellow and red-painted lantern of the church tower behind you, follow the route to Kloosterburen, where the Nicolaaskerk stands on the foundations of an old monastery. Through the countryside, past the farms and beyond the dykes. Or head in the opposite direction, towards Pieterburen.
Discover the stage
Pieterburen | Stage 17
Circular walk 19.2 km | To Hornhuizen (13.9 km) or Usquert (15.7 km) | As well as the Seal Centre, bezoekerscentrum Waddenkust and the start or end point of the Pieterpad, Pieterburen is also home to Petruskerk. The church owes its opulent interior to the wealthy residents of Groningen of that era. The church adjoins the botanische tuin Domies Toen. From Pieterburen, the route takes you to Hornhuizen or Usquert. Along the way, you’ll come across all sorts of things, from the smallest seaport in the Netherlands to the remains of breached dykes.
Discover the stage
Usquert | Stage 18
Circular walk 15.4 km | To Pieterburen (15.7 km) or Uithuizermeeden (14.7 km) | If you take a deep breath in Usquert, you’ll smell the salty sea air. That’s hardly surprising, given that this area – with its long history of settlement – lies right by the sea. The fertile land did not go unnoticed. Over the years, manor farms were built here and the landed gentry moved to the Hoogeland, and that prosperity is evident. From country houses tucked away in the greenery to villas with English winding gardens.
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Uithuizermeeden | Stage 19
Circular walk 14.7 km | To Usquert (14.7 km) | What began around 1200 with a few inhabited mounds grew into Uithuizermeeden. The Mariakerk is the starting point of the route. As there was insufficient funding for major maintenance, the church is almost like a time machine. There’s plenty to see. From here, you can walk or cycle past the Meister Tower, the Menkemaborg and the ‘maren’ – as the watercourses are known in the Groningen region. Whether you head to Usquert via Uithuizen or take a circular route via Oldenzijl, Zandeweer and Uithuizen, you’ll encounter living history here.
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Losdorp | Stage 20
Circular walk 16 km | To Uitwierde (15.2 km) or Uithuizermeeden (21.6 km) | Even long before the beginning of the Western era, settlers discovered that the salt marshes of the mud flats were a good place to live. Farmers living on the foothills of the Hondsrug ridge herded their cattle on sand and mud flats that were dry. Later, they built their summer camps into permanent residences and built mounds to protect themselves from the vagaries of the sea. The Losdorp mound is over 2,600 years old. According to later Roman historians and poets, people lived there in pitiful conditions.
Discover the stage
