Monk's Journey
Along the vanished monasteries of North-East Friesland
Once, Friesland was teeming with monasteries. Especially in North-East Friesland, they could be found everywhere, and at their peak, monasteries owned as much as 20% of Frisian land. The monks and nuns not only prayed but also worked on peat reclamation and took the initiative for building dikes, polders, canals, and locks.
Nowadays, very little remains of the former monastic life.
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 constructed by monks.
How wonderful is it to discover this hidden history for yourself?
Hop on your bike, follow old 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 of nuns serves as the starting point for our journeys.

Will you join us on the bike??

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

The routes on RouteYou contain information about all the interesting points you pass along the way that have historical significance from the monastic period.

The complete route can be cycled in one go as a route of nearly 150km, but can also be divided into 3 separate routes.

Complete 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