Weerribben-Wieden National Park (
Dutch: ''Nationaal Park Weerribben-Wieden'') is a
Dutch national park in the
Steenwijkerland
Steenwijkerland (; nds-nl, Stienwiekerlaand or ''Steenwiekerlaand'') is a municipality in the province of Overijssel, in the eastern Netherlands. It was called Steenwijk before 2003.
The municipality forms the entire northwesterly corner of the ...
and
Zwartewaterland municipalities in the
Overijssel
Overijssel (, ; nds, Oaveriessel ; german: Oberyssel) is a Provinces of the Netherlands, province of the Netherlands located in the eastern part of the country. The province's name translates to "across the IJssel", from the perspective of the ...
province. Comprising the largest
bog
A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and muskeg; a ...
of Northwestern Europe, the park consists of two areas, De Weerribben and De Wieden; it has an area of roughly . The park was founded in 1992, although De Wieden was added later, in 2009.
History and former use
Large parts of the area were used for peat production until the Second World War. Since then a part of the area has been used for
thatching reed production.
Present management
The area is managed by the large private nature-conservation organisation
Natuurmonumenten and by the
Staatsbosbeheer (State Forest Service). Other parties are involved in management issues as well, such as local communities. About is still used for thatching reed production. Villages like the picturesque
Giethoorn and monumental towns like
Blokzijl
Blokzijl is a small city located southwest of Steenwijk in the province of Overijssel, the Netherlands. The city is a major tourist destination near the De Weerribben-Wieden National Park and attracts many water sports enthusiasts.
Blokzijl was ...
and
Vollenhove are important for tourism and recreation.
Vegetation and wildlife
The vegetation and wildlife are typical for such an area, full of peat and water. Resident species include the
water soldier
''Stratiotes'' is a genus of submerged aquatic plant commonly known as water soldiers, described as a genus by Linnaeus in 1753. Several specific names have been coined within the genus, but at present only one is recognized: ''Stratiotes aloid ...
, the
sundew, the
black tern, the
northern pike and, recently, the
otter
Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which also includes wea ...
. In addition, the
Green Hawker and the
Large Copper are found here.
Visitor centres
* Visitor centre De Weerribben in
Ossenzijl
* Information centre of the national park in
Kalenberg
* Visitor centre De Wieden in
Sint Jansklooster
Sint Jansklooster (Dutch Low Saxon: ''′t Klooster'') is a village in the municipality Steenwijkerland of the Dutch province of Overijssel. It started as a monastery. The village is located near the Weerribben-Wieden National Park, and organises ...
* Schoonewelle 'Centrum Natuur en Ambacht' in
Zwartsluis
Pictures
Weerribben2.JPG, Weerribben-Wieden National Park
2014-05-03 weerribben zvd 05.JPG, Visitor Centre Ossenzijl from the riverside
Weerribben 5.jpg, Weerribben
Waterpump in the Weerribben 02.jpg, Waterpump in the Weerribben
Canoeist in the Weerribben.jpg, Canoeist in the Weerribben
References
External links
*
*
*
{{authority control
Protected areas established in 1992
1992 establishments in the Netherlands
National parks of the Netherlands
Ramsar sites in the Netherlands
Geography of Overijssel
Tourist attractions in Overijssel
Steenwijkerland