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Lauwersmeer

Lauwersmeer is a roughly 60-square-kilometer national park in the northern Netherlands, spanning the provinces of Friesland and Groningen along the edge of the Wadden Sea.

The lake at its heart was created in 1969 when the former Lauwers Sea was enclosed by a dike and gradually converted from salt water to fresh water.

The resulting landscape of wetlands, reed beds, grasslands, and shallow open water now supports 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 accessible by car from multiple points around its perimeter, with free parking available at several lots. The Lauwersnest Activity Center near Lauwersoog serves as the main entry point, offering information, exhibits, and organized activities.

Public transport connections run from both Leeuwarden and Groningen to Lauwersoog.


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