Baflo – Wierde, Church Architecture and Routes

Baflo offers travelers various points of interest when choosing a destination: a settlement laid out on a wierde, historic buildings, the memory of Rudolf Agricola and a range of routes. If you are especially interested in architectural and local history, you will find specific topics here spanning several centuries. Walks and cycling options offer different ways to spend your stay.

The village and its history

Baflo was built on a wierde; the streets run like spokes toward the highest point. This layout shapes the village’s spatial structure. The present-day Laurentiuskerk was built around 1100 and enlarged around 1250. Its history also includes a bell cast by G. van Wou in 1502. The construction phases and the bell provide different chronological reference points for the church’s history.

Rudolf Agricola was born in Baflo in 1443 and was originally named Roelof Huesman. He was one of the leading early humanist scholars of the northern Netherlands. The Standbeeld Rudolf Agricola commemorates this versatile scholar from the northern Netherlands. The Verzetsmonument in Baflo commemorates nine residents who died fighting the occupying forces during the Second World War. The Verzetsmonument stands in the cemetery of the Dutch Reformed Church on Kostergang in Baflo.

Buildings from different periods

Nieuw Blokken represents a phase of 20th-century construction. The rentier house, with an attached garage, was built in 1929/30 to a design by architect W. Reitsema. It was built in a regional variation of the Amsterdam School style. The year of construction, the architect and the regional interpretation are distinct aspects of the building.

Another house reflects a change in use: the house at Rudolf Agricolastraat 2 was built around 1880 as a rentier house and converted into a shop-house in 1923 by L. Bakker & Zoon. This makes it possible to distinguish the original building type from its later conversion in time.

The railway’s history is also associated with specific dates. Baflo station opened on 16 August 1893 on the Sauwerd–Roodeschool railway line. The station building is the only one on the line to Roodeschool to have survived and was designated a municipal monument in 2019. The opening date, preservation status and heritage designation shed light on different aspects of local history.

Walks and routes

The Toalroute is a circular route of about five kilometers. It starts at the Dorpshuis, crosses the Hochhoutje—a high pedestrian bridge—and returns to the starting point. The route description dates from 2018; check the local signs before setting off. The Grunneger Taalroute offers a different focus: on a walk through Baflo, you can discover poems. So while the Toalroute focuses on the circular route and its course, the Grunneger Taalroute centers on the poems.

The “In de voetsporen van Agricola” route starts and ends at the Laurentiuskerk. The listed obstacles include a bridge, partly unpaved sections and a railway crossing. Check the route information before setting off. If you would like to choose a longer route, “Hoog en droog op de wierde” is another option in Baflo.

Cycling and a break

The Noorderrondritten are especially suitable for road cyclists, e-bike users and multi-day cycling tours. They can be cycled year-round. This makes them a different kind of outing from the walks described above: here, cycling and the option of a multi-day route are part of the offering.

For a break, enjoy coffee or tea with Agricolakoek at Proef Lokaal Bakkerij Rutgers. As services may change, check what is currently available before your visit if needed.

Discover more destinations: Garnwerd, Winsum, Adorp, Rasquert, Saaxumhuizen, Tinallinge.

Return to the main travel overview: Winsum.