Langezwaag

Langezwaag

Langezwaag (Langsweagen) is located on the road from Gorredijk to Heerenveen. The village is located on the border between sandy and peat soils. To the west and south of Langezwaag there is an open landscape and to the east and north the landscape has a closed character. Langezwaag is located in the southwestern tip of the municipality of Opsterland.

From about 1550 onwards, the Heeren Compagnie started excavating raised bogs from Heerenveen and the

Skoatterlânske Kompanjonsfeart (Schoterlandse Compagnonsvaart) with its many branches dug to transport the peat to Holland. The main road ran from east to west, from Heerenveen via Luxwoude and Langezwaag to Gorredijk. This Hegedyk was also a flood defence. North of the Hegedyk, large ponds were created after the peat cutting. The construction of polder dikes made the drained polders suitable for construction and pastures. The name Langezwaag is related to the location of the grounds. Elongated farmlands (zwagen) used to run from the river Oude Ee in the north to past the Skoatterlânske Kompanjonsfeart in the south.

Langezwaag is one of the older villages in the municipality of Opsterland. The older villages were villages of farmers, who mainly had to rely on arable farming (rye and buckwheat). Cows and sheep were also kept, but these were mainly kept for the manure.

More information about Langezwaag can be found on http://www.langezwaag.com/.

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