Wadlopen (Mudflat Hiking) from Pieterburen
Wadlopen
The signature experience of the Wadden Sea World Heritage Site. At low tide, follow a guide barefoot across the seabed mudflats, even reaching islands.
The Wadden Sea is the world's largest continuous intertidal mudflat system and was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2009. When the tide goes out, vast mudflats and sandbars are exposed. Led by a licensed guide, you walk barefoot or in high-top boots, looking for lugworms, shellfish and seabirds, and you may come across seals sunbathing. Pieterburen village is the birthplace of mudflat hiking in the Netherlands, and several guide companies operate here. The beginner route takes 2 to 3 hours. The advanced route takes 3 to 4 hours, walking to Schiermonnikoog or Rottumeroog, and then returning by boat. Reservations are essential, and departure times change with the tides. Never go onto the mudflats without a guide.
Opening hours
May–Sep, timed by tides
Nearby sights
- Garnwerd
- Noorderplantsoen
- University Museum Groningen
- Museum aan de A (Northern Maritime Museum)
- Der Aa-kerk
- Prinsenhoftuin
- Grote Markt
- Martinitoren