Walk through the Frisian terpen landscape, past the highest terp in the Netherlands, Hegebeintum, and the modern Terp fan de Takomst. Enjoy the tranquillity, history, and views across the Wadden Sea. Along the way, discover centuries-old churches, salt marshes, and stories of people and landscape.

Please note: The section beyond the sea dike leading to Terp fan de Takomst is closed during the bird-breeding season (15 March–15 July). Dogs are not allowed on this section. To visit all the sights, you will need to leave the numbered junction network. Download the GPX file to navigate.

The highest terp in the Netherlands
The walk begins at the terp of Hegebeintum, a masterpiece of human adaptation to a dynamic landscape. At 8.80 metres high, it is the highest terp in the Netherlands and Germany, built up over generations by coastal communities who repeatedly raised their settlements using clay, manure, and household waste. At the visitor centre, discover how the Frisian terpen came into being and how excavations in the 19th and 20th centuries affected this unique landscape.

Be sure to visit the Romanesque church (12th century) and admire its unique blend of Romanesque and Gothic features, including the bright red brick nave and tufa-stone base. Inside, you’ll find beautiful murals depicting Christ and angels.

From the terp, look out over a patchwork of meadows and farmstead greenery, with the church towers of nearby villages serving as landmarks in the landscape.
Be sure to take a short detour to Harsta-State, a historic country house with an English landscape garden designed by the famous landscape architect Lucas Roodbaard.

Terp fan de Takomst
From Hegebeintum, the route takes you through wide-open polders and over the sea dike, where the scent of salt and sea air awakens your senses. Follow the salt-marsh path to Terp fan de Takomst, a modern terp completed in 2022. This landscape artwork is part of the Sense of Place project, which brings art and nature together along the Wadden Sea coast.

Terp fan de Takomst is special because it is a place where people come together. Concerts, talks, and experiments with salt-tolerant crops are held here. Wooden posts form a circle that highlights the character of this place: a new balance between people, nature, and culture.
From the terp, you can see how the Wadden Sea and the salt marshes are constantly changing under the influence of the wind and tides.

Rondjes om de kerken
Rondjes om de kerken features 26 inspiring and surprising pilgrimage routes in North Fryslân. The expansive landscapes, shifting light, clouds, and rustling wind perfectly complement the quiet simplicity offered by the churches: places of refuge and safe havens in troubled times, and routes of escape that offer peace and quiet. Curious about the other routes? You can find them here

For more in-depth information about this and the other routes, see the guidebook Rondjes om de kerken in Noord-Fryslân, available from bookshops. The book was written by walking journalist Fokko Bosker in close collaboration with the Tsjerkepaad foundation, which campaigns for greater access to Fryslân’s historic churches.