Lauwersmeer
Lauwersmeer
Lauwersmeer is a national park in the northern Netherlands, straddling the provinces of Friesland and Groningen along the edge of the Wadden Sea.
The area was open seawater until 1969, when a dike enclosed the former Lauwers Sea and separated it from the Waddenzee; the resulting freshwater lake and surrounding wetlands now support a wide variety of plant and animal species, and hundreds of thousands of migratory birds use the area as a stopover each year.
The park is open around the clock and free to enter, with walking permitted on roads and paths throughout (except the military training area Marnewaard).
Parking is available at multiple points around the perimeter, including near the Lauwersnest Activity Center close to Lauwersoog, which serves as a main entry point. Bus connections run from both Leeuwarden and Groningen to Lauwersoog.
The park also holds Dark Sky Park status, and on clear nights the Milky Way is visible across much of the area.
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