Road trip Lauwersmeer: for the really lucky ones

Start your road trip in Zoutkamp, a village with a rich past. The shrimp capital of Groningen. Until the Lauwersmeer was closed in 1969, the village had plenty of fishing. Today, Zoutkamp still has the atmosphere of an old-fashioned fishing village, thanks to its monumental locks, coloured houses and cosy harbour. At the Fisheries Museum, you will discover the history of this village and its fishing industry. Thanks to the village's location, you can discover the Lauwersmeer area from the water. Hire a boat and sail into the area via the Zoutkamperril. On the way, you will enjoy the peace and space. And who knows, you might even spot your first birds, hiding in the reeds.

Rested and well, you move on, into the nature of the Lauwersmeer area. The trip starts on your bike, up along the Zoutkamperril. The elevated Strandweg functions as a dike, which quickly makes the separation between the water and the land here clear. After a while, you arrive at Activiteitencentrum Lauwersnest, the ideal starting point for your day in the National Park. Here you can find out all there is to do and learn all about the animals living in the area. Next to the Lauwersnest is a playground for children and the shop sells maps, routes, books and charts about the area. Various walking routes and excursions start from the centre. From here, for instance, the route leads to the observation tower near the Ballastplaat forest, one of the many observation towers in the area. From here, you might even spot the white-tailed eagle, the icon of Lauwersmeer. Want to learn all about the birds that live here during your walk? Then turn on the Vogelspotcast while walking.

Feel like adventure today? Then Stap on a mountain bike and race along the MTB route straight through the countryside. Or take a trip over the dyke and discover the wash during a mudflat walk. Would you rather take it a bit easier? Then visit the Zeehondencentrum Pieterburen, DoeZoo Leens or Museum Borg Verhildersum. Whatever you do during the day, keep the evening free. Because when the sun sets in the evening, the stars rise. This is because the Lauwersmeer area is a true Dark Sky Park. That means it still gets really dark here at night. Your senses are stimulated in every possible way. Here you don't count sheep, but stars in all kinds of patterns. The night map explains exactly which constellations you will see on your night walk.

With Groningen at our backs, the road trip continues, crossing the Harmen Martens Gerbrandywei. From Groningen to Friesland. Make a stop at the Wadden Stand, where you'll have a first-rate view of the Wadden Sea. Above all, end your day here, and enjoy a spectacular sunset. A little further on, you will discover the Bantpolder. This vast meadow area is a haven for water and meadow birds. Every year, some 10 to 12 million migratory birds make their crossing through this area. Black-tailed godwits, oystercatchers, harriers, you will meet them all here. Having trouble distinguishing the different birds? Once you arrive in Oostmahorn in Friesland, behind Esonstad, you stap the tour boat De Vlinderbalg. Prick up your ears and let the crowds go by while you enjoy the beautiful view with a drink.

Continue on your route from Oostmahorn towards Ezumazijl, a cosy neighbourhood community with seven national monuments. One of those monuments is the lock, a beautiful technological feat that ensures the water level of the Lauwersmeer is maintained. Continuing on, the journey takes you further to Dokkumer Nieuwe Zijlen. Take a walk it through the Diepsterbos, a forest planted in the 1970s, which is home to various species of plants and birds. At the edge of the Diepsterbos towers literally and figuratively an imposing highlight, uitkijktoren de Reiddomp. Here you will learn all about the area and have a great view. Our advice? Bring binoculars to admire the beauty from great heights.

This road trip is part of the rondje Lauwersmeer, a 43 km hiking and cycling route through and around the Lauwersmeer area. Across the provincial borders, along the coast of Groningen and Friesland, through forests and past cosy villages. Want to make the Rondje Lauwersmeer even more fun? The route can be done your own way, with a stamp card that allows you to get a stamp from an entrepreneur in each village. Prefer to travel through the area via the marked paths? The IVN trek consists of a multi-day cycling and walking tour that you cover in three to four days, during which you will learn more about the history. The specially developed Lauwersmeer passport takes you through the Lauwersmeer area and is full of restaurants and unmissable highlights.