Monk's Trail
Along the vanished monasteries of North-East Fryslân
Once, Friesland was teeming with monasteries. Especially in North-East Friesland, they could be found everywhere, and at their peak, monasteries owned no less than 20% of Frisian land. The monks and nuns not only prayed but also worked on peat extraction and initiated the construction of dikes, polders, canals, and locks.
Nowadays, very little of the former monastic life can still be seen.
In 1580, the monasteries were expropriated and demolished, and many stones were reused for other buildings.
But if you look closely, you can still discover traces: ancient church paths, historical locks, and dikes that were once built by monks.
How nice is it to discover this hidden history for yourself?
Hop on your bike, follow ancient monastery paths, and enjoy the beautiful Frisian landscape along the way!
 
In Veenklooster – you guessed it – there was also a monastery;
Mons Olivetti, the Mount of Olives.
The site of this former convent is the starting point of our routes.

Are you coming along on the bike??

You can cycle the routes at your own convenience starting June 7, 2025.

The routes in RouteYou contain information about all the interesting points you pass along the way and where history from the monk era lies.

The route can be cycled as a whole in one go, nearly 150km long, but can also be done in 3 separate routes.

Full route 150km: https://www.routeyou.com/nl-nl/route/view/15031541

South route 65km: https://www.routeyou.com/nl-nl/route/view/15850277

North-West route 77km: https://www.routeyou.com/nl-nl/route/view/15850282

North-East route 57km: https://www.routeyou.com/nl-nl/route/view/15850336