Struikelwortelven - Overasselt

The Struikelwortelven is part of the Overasseltse and Hatertse Vennen, an ancient landscape of river dunes and pools formed when rainwater settled on an impermeable clay layer after the last Ice Age.

In the nineteenth century, large areas of this region were planted with Scots pines. The wood was used as support timber in the Limburg coal mines, but the trees drew so much water from the ground that the fens began to dry out. To reverse that process, part of the forest was cleared in 2013 and replaced with open heathland. This restored the landscape’s original character and created space for the unique flora and fauna that depend on wet heath and fens.

One of the river dunes near the Struikelwortelven now features a viewpoint. From here, you can look out over the shimmering water, the heath and the surrounding woods, a panorama that changes with every season. In June, the white tufts of cotton grass sway in the wind; in September, the heather turns purple; and in winter, you can look for animal tracks in the snow. The area is exceptionally rich in wildlife: no fewer than eleven of the sixteen Dutch amphibian species live here, including the rare garlic toad, which emits a garlic-like smell when threatened. Badgers also thrive here. Several setts can be found in the area, some of which have been inhabited by generations for centuries, with underground tunnel systems stretching out like little villages beneath the earth.