Duurswouderheide, Heathland area in Opsterland, Netherlands.
Duurswouderheide is a heathland area covering about 150 hectares within a larger forest and nature reserve. It is managed by the Dutch State Forest Service and contains several ponds along with patches of heath, grassland, and woodland.
Medieval settlements once existed near the ponds, as pottery fragments found during archaeological digs reveal. These early inhabitants left marks that remain visible in the landscape today.
Oak walls planted across the heathland mark where people once lived and farmed here. They shape how the landscape looks today and show how humans used this land long ago.
You can enter through the main gate near Duerswâld at Wijnjewoude church or use the secondary entrance at Leidijk. Paths vary in condition, so wear sturdy shoes and take care if the ground is wet.
The six large ponds were formed from pingo ruins left by melting ice lenses during the last ice age. This geological story makes the place a living record of how ice ages shaped the land.
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