Franeker - Bolsward | Klooster Claercamppad pilgrimage trail: Stage 8

This stage of the trail leads from one St Martin’s church to another. You walk from north to south along the Slachtedyk dike, the ‘Chinese Wall’ of Friesland, which protected people from tidal surges of the Middelzee inlet. 

This area was subject to frequent flooding until well into the Middle Ages. The water posed a major threat to the local villages and monasteries. Miedum monastery near Franeker, for example, only lasted 62 years. The Slachtedyk dike arose as old dikes were linked together and closed off the Middelzee inlet.

Standing one and a half metres high, the dike is a cultural and historical landmark that sheds light on history. Today it offers hikers a beautiful scenic route through grasslands inhabited by meadow birds.

As you walk along the old dikes, the only buildings you see are farms and church towers. The highest tower you will see is in the little village of Tsjom, which was once on the Wadden Sea coast.

A picturesque winding path takes you past the hamlet of Tolsum, where a text dating back to the year 29 CE was found, the earliest written text ever found in the Netherlands.

Next, you cross the raised bridge over the main road and, after making your way through the little villages of Burgwerd and Hichtum, quickly find yourself in the centre of Bolsward. 

This route is part of the Klooster Claercamppad pilgrimage trail.