Wooldse Veen, Nature reserve with heath and peat bog in Winterswijk, Netherlands
Wooldse Veen is a nature reserve in Winterswijk with heathland, peat bogs, and wet forest spread across varied soil types. Wooden pathways guide visitors through the landscape, allowing exploration of the different zones.
Peat began forming here about 5,000 years ago in depressions of clay soil, creating a natural boundary between the Netherlands and Germany. In the 1900s, people began extracting peat from the area, shaping its current landscape.
The reserve shows traces of peat cutting from the early 1900s, with ditches and dikes still visible in the landscape that tell stories of past human activity. Visitors walking through can see how this work shaped the land over time.
Enter the reserve from the parking area at Kuipersweg, where wooden pathways begin. The ground is wet and boggy throughout, so sturdy footwear and staying on marked trails are essential.
The site hosts specialized plants like sundew and cranberry thriving in the regenerating high peat ecosystem. These species are perfectly adapted to the wet and acidic conditions found here.
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