’t Roege Pad

’t Roege Pad consists of four beautiful, ‘rugged’ walking routes through the ‘ 't Roegwold ’ nature reserve and the surrounding villages. ’t Roegwold is a unique nature reserve featuring marshes, reed beds and many rare bird species. The routes follow unpaved terrain as much as possible: along ditches and water board paths, across private land or along centuries-old church paths.

As you walk through the tall grass, you’ll hear frogs, a cuckoo and, in the distance, the bittern. Walking ‘t Roege Pad is like an audio walk through nature. Along the way, you’ll come across ‘De Vogelluisteraars’ (The Bird Listeners), artworks created by Marc van Vliet that allow you to hear the sounds of nature even more clearly. Each route is around twenty kilometres long, and for each of the four routes, you’ll receive a matching pin once you’ve filled your stamp card. The stamp card is available for €5 (plus postage, if applicable) from the sales points listed at the bottom of the page and can be handed in at the same sales points. The online map shows the route and provides plenty of information about all the nature reserves and birds you might encounter. You’ll also find details here on where to park, take a break and stay overnight.

The Waterhoenroute starts in the historic heart of Slochteren. Of the four 't Roege Pad routes, the Waterhoenroute has the most heritage to admire along the way, such as Fraeylemaborg estate and the polder mills on the Groenedijk. In terms of nature, there is also much beauty to discover such as De Baggerputten, where many special plants and animals can be found and the herbaceous hay meadows along Groote Wijk.

You can spot them in the branches of trees hanging low over the water at Zwaneveldsgat: kingfishers. But even if you don’t come across these blue flashes anywhere, there are plenty of other birds you’ll see and hear along the way. From Kolham, you walk into the Westerpolder, the southernmost part of ’t Roegwold. There’s a good chance you’ll come across the photogenic Hereford cattle along the way. From Woudbloem, you’ll walk through the picturesque Ae’s Woudbloem. Here flows the Slochter Ae, an old stream which, together with the Scharmer Ae, lies in the ancient river valley of the Fivel.

In this route, you walk around the Schildmeer. On the way, you pass through the Tetjehorn subarea. It is the largest reed marsh in Groningen and is home to a multitude of birds, including bittern, bearded reedling and spotted crake. Marsh harrier feels at home in the reed marsh and occasionally even the impressive white-tailed eagle is seen here! The route ends at the cosy terrace of Kaap Steendam, from where you have a great view over the lake.

In Schildwolde, one historic farmhouse after another lines the Hoofdweg. Here and there, they are still surrounded by classic Groningen meandering gardens. From Schildwolde, the route heads towards the Dannemeer, the heart of ’t Roegwold and a true birdwatcher’s paradise. Here you’ll also find the Knuppelpad, a narrow boardwalk that makes it seem as though you’re walking on water. You then walk to the Schildmeer , where there is a new boardwalk. At De Vogelluisteraar, you can hear the various meadow birds. You then walk back through the farmland to Hellum, ending in Schildwolde next to the Juffertoren with its pointed brick tower.

The ‘Roege Rondjes’ are ideal for shorter walks of between two and ten kilometres. The routes are spread across 't Roegwold nature reserve and take you past the most beautiful parts of places such as Tetjehorn, the Westerpolder, Hellum and the Baggerputten. The Roege Rondjes form part of ’t Roege Pad, allowing you to extend longer routes or link different routes together. Enjoy the peace and beauty of this stunning nature reserve.