The centre of Westhem has been designated a valuable municipal village landscape. For planning your trip, three themes can be distinguished: culture, with the Bartholomew Church; walking routes; and the waterways of the Blauhuister Poelen. Each option offers a different focus: for the Kuiertocht, it is the circular route and its length; for the church path, it is the destination in Abbega; and for boat trips, it is specific availability. This lets you plan your stay around your interests rather than treating all the activities as a single programme.
Village Landscape, Church and Story Route
Westhem is part of the Verhalenroute Ruimte van Waterland van Friesland (Waterland van Friesland Space Story Route). The route features a poem about Westhem and its medieval church. This adds a literary perspective to the way you experience the village. The route’s presentation may change, so check how it is currently presented before your visit.
As part of “Tsjerkepaad,” the Bartholomew Church in Westhem was open to visitors on Saturday afternoons during the summer months. If you plan to visit, check the schedule for the relevant travel year, as this opportunity to visit is seasonal.
Exploring on Foot
The Kuiertocht Westhem is a 4.6-kilometre circular walking route. Opposite the Bartholomew Church in Westhem, a church path leads through the meadows to the church in the neighbouring village of Abbega. The routes differ in their form and destination: the Kuiertocht is described as a circular route and has a stated length, while the church path focuses on the route through the meadows and the church in Abbega. When choosing between the two, you can therefore base your decision on the circular route and its length, or on the destination in the neighbouring village.
Hemdijken and the Historic Waterways
In the Lage Midden region of Friesland, hemdijken (inland dikes) were built in the 12th century to protect important agricultural areas from impounded water. Because of differences in elevation, they are often still clearly visible in the landscape. This regional background connects a visible landform with its former role in protecting farmland.
At De Kat, another part of Westhem, there is said to have been a sluice beside the hemdijk on the Sylroede. Together with the history of the hemdijken, this detail about the location offers another connection to the waterways.
The Blauhuister Poelen and Boat Trips
The Blauhuister Poelen, called BlauhĂşster Puollen in Frisian, consist of the three inland lakes It Fliet, Reidmar and Sipkemar, as well as the former boezemland (floodplain) of the Tsjesskar. The name thus refers to a water landscape with several named lakes and additional former boezemland.
Trips on the Blauhuister Poelen are possible by electric boat or sloop. From Westhem, you can also travel the Reidmarroute by electric boat. For trips on the Poelen, you can choose between an electric boat and a sloop; the Reidmarroute can be travelled by electric boat. Availability of specific trips may vary, so check before planning.
Discover more destinations: Warns, Workum, Gaast, Woudsend, Parrega, Kimswerd, Ijlst, Uitwellingerga.
For the broader travel overview: Súdwest Fryslân.
