The Pieterpad is a long distance walking route in the Netherlands. The trail runs 498 kilometres (309 mi) from Pieterburen, in the northern part of Groningen, south through the eastern part of the Netherlands to end just south of Maastricht, on the top of Mount Saint Peter (St Pietersberg), at a height of 109 metres (358 ft). The Pieterpad is one of the official Long Distance Paths in the Netherlands (Lange Afstand Wandelpad Nummer 9) and by far the most popular of its long distance walking routes. It is possible to walk the route in either direction, and throughout the year. It is well signposted, and is well served by public transport and accommodation throughout its length. The official guide book is in two volumes, Pieterburen-Vorden and Vorden-Maastricht.[1] A dedicated website (in Dutch) also gives updated accommodation details.[2] Although the walking is always easy and never remote, it is a varied and often beautiful walk, passing through woods, polders, heathland, and numerous small Dutch villages.

Pieterpad
Length498 km (309 mi)
LocationNetherlands
TrailheadsPieterburen, Groningen
Maastricht, Limburg
UseHiking
Highest pointSchimmert, 135 m (443 ft)
DifficultyEasy
SeasonAll year

History

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The trail was the idea of Toos Goorhuis-Tjalsma (1915-2004) living in Tilburg, in the south of the Netherlands and her friend Bertje Jens (1913-2009) living in Groningen in the north of the Netherlands. They came up with the idea to design a rambling route between their hometowns, later re-organised between the far north to the far south. The route has been officially open since 1983.

Stages

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The route of the Pieterpad is described in the following stages:

1 Pieterburen Winsum 12 km
2 Winsum Groningen 19 km
3 Groningen Zuidlaren 21 km
4 Zuidlaren Rolde 18 km
5 Rolde Schoonloo 18 km
6 Schoonloo Sleen 24 km
7 Sleen Coevorden 21 km
8 Coevorden Hardenberg 19 km
9 Hardenberg Ommen 21 km
10 Ommen Hellendoorn 21 km
11 Hellendoorn Holten 16 km
12 Holten Laren 15 km
13 Laren Vorden 13 km
14 Vorden Zelhem 17 km
15 Zelhem Braamt 18 km
16 Braamt Millingen aan de Rijn 24 km
17 Millingen Groesbeek 20 km
18 Groesbeek Gennep 14 km
19 Gennep Vierlingsbeek 19 km
20 Vierlingsbeek Swolgen 22 km
21 Swolgen Venlo 21 km
22 Venlo Swalmen 23 km
23 Swalmen Montfort 21 km
24 Montfort Sittard 24 km
25 Sittard Strabeek (Valkenburg) 22 km
26 Strabeek Sint-Pietersberg 17 km

The Pieterpad connects to the international trails E9 at its northern end in Pieterburen and the GR5 at its southern end and crosses the E11 in Oldenzaal and the E8 in Nijmegen. It follows the European walking GR5, which is also part of trail E2. The GR5, which runs through the Ardennes to Nice and the French Alps, is one of the most popular international trails for hikers.

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References

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  1. ^ Pieterpad, Nivon Publishing http://www.nivon.nl (see Wandelen/Gidsen en Kaarten)
  2. ^ Pieterpad website: http://www.pieterpad.nl/