Pieterpad

If you would like to cross the Netherlands on foot, your journey will start or end in the Groningen village of Pieterburen. The Pieterpad ends at the Sint-Pietersberg in Maastricht, 500 kilometres away. You could naturally opt to walk one or various of the three stages to explore the province of Groningen. We do not expect you to go all the way to Limburg, because we are happy to have you.

From Pieterburen, it is a 12-kilometre walk to Winsum, followed by 21 kilometres by the meandering Reitdiep to the city of Groningen. Vast fields and pastures with grazing cattle alternate with attractive artificial dwelling hill villages with narrow streets.

Attention: the bridge over the van Starkenborghkanaal cannot be used due to a collision. Hikers can use the Dorkwerderbrug in the meantime. The extra length is approx. 0.9 km. Read more.

Groningen’s variety is often highly praised, but where can you go to really experience this? The third stretch of the Pieterpad – 21 kilometres from the city of Groningen to Zuidlaren along the Drenthe border – is a wonderful example. This is where the city liveliness gradually changes into a watery environment filled with lakes. This used to be a bog, where peat extraction has determined the shapes of the lakes. A bit further along, the route takes you through wooded areas over cart tracks that are reminiscent of a trade route from centuries ago. Groningen culture and countryside in a nutshell.