Route 28: The Ieme Jipsingboertange

A ‘tange’ is a sand ridge. Until just after the war, peat and iron ore were extracted from there, shepherds took their flocks out onto the heathland, and fields were cultivated and forests planted. The Westerwolde region and the neighbouring peat-colonial area have experienced bitter poverty. Working in peat extraction was no picnic, neither for the villagers nor for the throng of unemployed people who were put to work there in the 1930s. Apart from the layout of the plots, there is now little in the elongated village of Jipsingboertange to remind us of that history. The number of tourists who flock there in the summer far exceeds the number of residents – around 150 – many times over. They come for the peace and quiet of the woods in the Sellingen forest and the nearby natuurgebied Ter Borg. It is not only tourists who have discovered the village. People from other parts of the country, too, who’ve had enough of the hustle and bustle , find space and a friendly local community here. Anyone out for a walk is greeted by everyone.

In 2000, the provincial council declared its strong support for recreational development. For example, in the nearby river valley of the Ruiten Aa – part of the Natuurwerk Nederland (formerly known as the Ecological Main Structure) – substantial investment has been made in nature conservation and recreational facilities.

Anyone staying in Jipsingboertange doesn’t have to go far to set off on their first walk. Almost half the route takes you through open countryside, offering true East Groningen vistas. The other part of the walk is set out through old and young woods along easily accessible paths. You may spot roe deer and buzzards there.

There is also a bomb crater in the woods, close to the Weender Canal, resulting from an aerial battle during the Second World War. This crater can be spotted fairly easily by the observant walker (see point 5 of the route description).

Jipsingboertange has traditionally had a close relationship with bees, which, just as in Drenthe, are called ‘iemen’. Various local names bear witness to this.

Until the early 1920s, the so-called Iemberg was located in Jipsingboertange. This was a range of hills in the sand drift area where the ‘iemkers’ or beekeepers from part of the former municipality of Vlagtwedde (to which Jipsingboertange belonged) placed their beehives. Most of this range of hills was subsequently excavated to make way for the construction of the gravel road between Kopstukken and Jipsingboertange.

There is still an active beekeepers’ association in the Jipsingboertange area: the Westerwolde Beekeepers’ Association (also a member of the NVB (the Dutch Beekeepers’ Association)).

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This is a route of the Walking in Westerwolde Foundation. You can still sign up as a sponsor for this route by emailing info@wandeleninwesterwolde.nl.