Nederland - Overasseltse en Hatertse Vennen

The Overasseltse en Hatertse Vennen is a special nature reserve of 520 ha with sloping river dunes, more than 20 fens, heathland and pine forests. The rivers Maas and Waal - which are now relatively far away from this area - are the creators of this landscape. After the last Ice Age, some 10,000 years ago, the Netherlands was a polar desert. Sand from the bed of the river Maas was blown here creating high dunes. The river Waal had previously deposited a layer of clay that was compressed into an impenetrable layer. As a result, rainwater was stored in the form of fens.

From the 19th century, pine trees were planted here for the Limburg mining industry. The fen area had its own water management, independent of the regional groundwater. This changed around 1900; both municipalities and private individuals dug ditches and trenches to drain the water.

Because the fens were in danger of drying out, part of the woodland was converted to heathland in 2013. This preserves the unique flora and fauna that are dependent on these fens.

At the edge of the Overasselt en Hatertse Vennen are the ruins of the medieval St. Walrick's Chapel and a so called “clootie tree”, also known as a “rag tree”. The popular story goes that if you hang a piece of cloth from a sick person in this oak tree, the tree will make the illness disappear (PiP5).