Garnwerd, Feerwerd and Medenertilsterpolder Loop

A good, practical place to start (and finish) this loop is by the Reitdiep in Garnwerd, where you’ll find easy parking and a clear landmark: Garnwerd aan Zee, Hunzeweg 38a, 9893 PD Garnwerd (Groningen, NL). ([visitgroningen.nl](https://www.visitgroningen.nl/en/locations/524473450/garnwerd-on-the-sea?utm_source=openai)) From here you’re immediately in the wide-open Middag-Humsterland clay landscape: ruler-flat horizons, long straight ditches, raised farm tracks, and villages perched on ancient dwelling mounds (wierden). With ~33 km / 20.5 mi and essentially 0 m / 0 ft of climbing, the challenge is less about elevation and more about wind, exposure, and distance on hard surfaces.

Getting to the start (car + public transport) - **By car:** Navigate to **Hunzeweg 38a, 9893 PD Garnwerd** (Garnwerd aan Zee). It’s a well-known local destination right on the water, so it’s straightforward to find. ([visitgroningen.nl](https://www.visitgroningen.nl/en/locations/524473450/garnwerd-on-the-sea?utm_source=openai)) - **By public transport (from Groningen city):** A common approach is **train from Groningen toward Roodeschool**, get off at **Winsum**, then continue by **bus (line 36 toward Oldehove)** and alight at **Garnwerd (Krassumerstraat stop)**, then walk into the village to the Reitdiep. ([en.eet.nu](https://en.eet.nu/garnwerd/garnwerd-aan-zee?utm_source=openai)) (Always double-check same-day timetables and any service changes before you go.)

You’ll want to load the route in HiiKER before setting off; in this landscape, paths can look deceptively similar, and small turns onto dike tops or farm lanes are easy to miss when the wind is up.

You’ll typically be walking on a mix of paved village streets, narrow dike roads, and farm tracks. After rain, some unpaved sections can be slick with clay; in dry spells, the same surfaces can be dusty and hard underfoot.

What the walk feels like (and how the 33 km tends to break down) **0–6 km / 0–3.7 mi: Garnwerd and the Reitdiep edge** Leaving the start area, you settle into the rhythm of canal-side and dike walking. The Reitdiep corridor is classic Groningen: water, reeds, and long views to church towers. Early on, it’s worth setting a steady pace—33 km is forgiving on paper, but the flatness can tempt you to start too fast.

6–14 km / 3.7–8.7 mi: Toward Feerwerd—wierden country As you approach Feerwerd, the landscape subtly “lifts” where the village sits on a wierde (a man-made dwelling mound built up over centuries to stay above floods). Feerwerd is specifically known as a village built on multiple wierden, and the area is part of a protected village landscape—so you’ll notice a compact historic core and the sense of an older settlement pattern. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feerwerd?utm_source=openai)) A key landmark here is the Jacobuskerk (St. James’ Church), with origins in the early 13th century (though altered later). Even if you don’t go inside, it’s a strong navigational and cultural anchor in an otherwise open polder. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feerwerd?utm_source=openai))

14–24 km / 8.7–14.9 mi: Medenertilsterpolder—big skies and meadow birds This middle portion is where the route earns its character: long, straight lines of ditches and fields, and a feeling of walking through a working agricultural ecosystem. The Medenertilsterpolder sits in the Middag-Humsterland area between Aduard and Ezinge, and it’s managed with a strong focus on meadow birds (weidevogels). ([provinciegroningen.nl](https://www.provinciegroningen.nl/projecten/medenertilsterpolder/?utm_source=openai)) Depending on season, you may see or hear species such as black-tailed godwit (grutto), lapwing (kievit), oystercatcher (scholekster), and redshank (tureluur)—the polder is explicitly described as valuable habitat for these birds.