Er gaat niets boven Groningen
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G7: Terps
Centuries-old mounds which, for a thousand years, have protected the inhabitants of the Groningen clay area from the rising water.
Traces of ancient habitation
The Groningen terp landscape is part of the oldest man-made landscapes in the northwest of Europe. 600 years prior to our era, Groningen consisted of vast swamps and salt marshes, empty and boggy. In order to survive, inhabitants constructed terps, or artificial hills, in order to protect themselves from the rising water. The first dikes were constructed in the Middle Ages. Find out why Ezinge was also referred to as the Pompeii of the north in the Wierdenland museum. A good image of ancient habitation of this area is also provided here.
Pre-eminent terp village
The Niehove terp is located in and around the salt marsh area which was once part of the Wadden Sea and, until 1200, was regularly flooded during high tide. Storm tides were alarming enough for inhabitants to construct ring-dikes around the terp areas. This is how the West Frisian island of Humsterland originated, the capital of which was Niehove. This village, where the original structure has been preserved, has been appointed a protected rural area and is one of the most interesting places in the Westerkwartier.
Along the Reitdiep twists and curves
The Reitdiepdal (valley) is Europe’s oldest man-made landscape: water management, an age-old Dutch profession, has clearly left its traces here. The Drenthe Hunze river once flowed here, connecting the city of Groningen to the sea. As such a narrow, meandering river was difficult to sail, during the 17th century it was decided to partially straighten it. The Hunze is now called the Reitdiep. Fortunately, most old twists of the former Hunze remained.
