Niehove

The sea used to come much further inland, but this did not discourage Groningen residents. On the contrary: they simply constructed hills to build their churches and villages on. With dozens of ancient artificial dwelling hill villages, they reclaimed land bit by bit. The sober strength of these 'wierden' is felt most strongly in the village of Niehove.

When you wander over the narrow Niehove church paths, it’s hard to imagine that this tiny village used to be the capital of Humsterland. As you stand here between the red brick houses, it’s interesting to know that very little has changed through the centuries. The church is in the village centre and on top of the artificial dwelling hill. Niehove resembles a kind of spider’s web when seen from above. The village houses are located in two circles around the church, with their backs turned to the fields. From the church, narrow church paths lead to the lower ring road. Be sure to walk around and explore the special street layout.

The church in the centre is a Roman-Gothic church from the 13^th century. Until the 16^th century, this was the only stone building in the village, and it was not until much later that the church was furnished with benches. Before then, churchgoers had to stand: men at the south side and women at the north side. Today, the church has a visitor centre with information about the village and Humsterland. For a long time, the Niehove churchyard was separated from the street by a circular canal, which was to force ghosts to remain at the churchyard and prevent them from venturing out into the village.