Zuiderzeepad Weerribben-Wieden

The Zuiderzeepad (LAW 8) runs around the IJsselmeer in stages: a 495-kilometre loop from Enkhuizen via Amsterdam, Kampen and Lemmer back to Enkhuizen. This route is the heart of the lowland fen: from Ossenzijl through the Weerribben and the Wieden to Kampen, 58 kilometres in three stages.

The first day runs from the little lock at Ossenzijl through reed beds and peat holes to Blokzijl. The second follows the northern edge of the Wieden and the dikes to the Zwarte Water, a long day at 24 kilometres. The third drops along the Zwarte Water and the IJssel to Kampen, with the windmills and the town skyline above the river.

This is the largest continuous lowland fen in north-west Europe: open water, reed, narrow land strips and small islands, alternating with meadows and dikes. There is no elevation to speak of and the paths are grass and asphalt.

Practical. The route is waymarked red and white. Ossenzijl is reached by bus from Steenwijk; Kampen has a station on the Zwolle to Kampen line with a sprinter every half hour. The stages end in Blokzijl and Genemuiden, where there is a hotel and a bed and breakfast. May and June are the best months, when the reed birds nest.