Kootwijkerzand is a drifting sand area on the Veluwe in the Dutch province of Gelderland. With an area of 700 ha is the largest shifting sand area in Western Europe. It is part of the Kootwijk forestry reserve.
Around 2500 BC, people already lived on the
Kootwijkerzand. A flint arrowhead and some pottery remains from around 1700 BC have been found. In the second century AD, a few farms were built and from 700 AD one can speak of a village. In the Middle Ages, iron ore was collected and processed. For this purpose, forest was cut down on a large scale for the production of charcoal. The sandy soil was exposed and started to shift. As a result, the village disappeared under the sand in the 11th century.
Management measures are necessary to keep the sand of the
Kootwijkerzand moving. Otherwise algae, mosses, lichens and higher plants will cover the sand. The sand is still really drifting. In strong winds, the loose sand blows away in certain places, and comes back down a bit further on. As a result, the terrain changes shape again and again, forming new sand dunes.
On the open sandy plain, the temperature can rise to 40 degrees Celsius, while the night temperature can also drop below 0 degrees in
summer. The area is often called “the Dutch Sahara”.
43 comments
Percy Schramm said:
Guy Bacca (guybac) said:
Bonne semaine
Rosalyn Hilborne said:
HBM Jaap and good new week ahead.
Julien Rappaport said:
Nora Caracci said:
Madeleine Defawes said:
Bonne semaine. Amitiés
Walter 7.8.1956 said:
Roger (Grisly) said:
Have a good week
Patrick Brandy said:
Weard Bültena said:
wunderschöne Aufnahmen. Ein toller Ort. Ich plane dieses Jahr einen Kurzurlaub in der Nähe. Ich war vor ca. 5 Jahren schon mal dort.
Weard
Wilfried said:
Günter Klaus said:
......wünsche noch einen schönen Nachmittag,ganz liebe Grüße Güni:))
Herb Riddle said:
Have a good week. Herb
Cämmerer zu Nau said:
Stephan Fey said: