Sondel: Discover nature and history

Sondel between history and nature

Sondel was founded around 1300 on Gaasterland’s high sandy ridge. When planning a stay, two themes can be considered separately: the history of the church site and the nature around the Sondeler Leien. Both the landscape and seasonal birdwatching are highlights there; fishing is possible from the fishing pier. If you plan your stay around your interests, you can give architectural history and nature different levels of emphasis. The village’s history and church reach back to different centuries, while birdwatching is tied to specific seasons.

The history of the church site

The history of the church site began in the 12th century with a small chapel and a bell. Sondel’s Hervormde Church dates from 1870 and stands on older foundations. It has a bell frame with a bell from the 14th century. The church site’s origins therefore predate Sondel’s founding around 1300; 1870 marks a later church building, not the beginning of its history as a whole. The chapel, bell and church building belong to different periods. If you are interested in architectural history, a clear chronology can be traced here: an early chapel, a bell from the 14th century and a church building from the 19th century.

Landscape around the Sondeler Leien

The Sondeler Leien marshland consists of pastures, reed beds, dense undergrowth and woodland. These features give the landscape several dimensions rather than reducing it to the inland lake alone. The Sondeler Leien nature area is in Gaasterland; the inland lake probably formed when a dike on the former Zuiderzee was breached. The dike breach is considered a likely explanation, not a certain cause. A specific description of the landscape and a cautiously worded interpretation of the lake’s history therefore sit side by side. If you are interested in the landscape, you can consider the listed vegetation types and the lake’s possible origins as separate aspects.

Birdwatching and fishing

From the birdwatching hide at the Sondeler Leijen, you can observe various duck species in the winter months; in spring, you can hear various reed-dwelling birds there. From Sondel, you can reach the hide by taking the turnoff towards De Leijen. Fishing is also possible from the fishing pier at the Sondeler Leijen.

Timing and focus

When choosing when to travel, it is helpful to distinguish between winter birdwatching and spring birdsong. This answers a different question from the church’s dates: for nature, the timing of your stay matters; for church history, it is the historical sequence. If you choose a focus, you can give seasonal nature observation and architectural history different levels of emphasis.

Discover more destinations: Sleat, Wijckel, Rijs, Harich, Balk, Oudemirdum.

Back to the regional travel overview: Gaasterlân-Sleat.