The French Marches trail
This footpath runs from Wormerveer station through the vast Guisveld to Zaandijk. Via narrow bridges, the footpath takes you across the elongated islands of the Guisveld while you can see the contours of the city on the horizon.
The Guisveld is a brackish peat bog where cattle farming has been carried out for centuries. Large parts of Holland and Utrecht used to consist of peat bog terraces, but over the years these have become rare. One of the last of this kind is the Guisveld! Moreover, this area has even retained the special character of brackish water peat. As a result, rare plants occur in the field, such as spoonbill, round sundew, adder tongue, reed orchid, fragrant night orchid and the royal fern.
Due to the quietness of the polder and the condition of the soil, the Guisveld is a favourite spot for various bird species. Examples include meadow birds such as the lapwing, redshank, black-tailed godwit and ruff or rare birds such as the bittern, marsh harrier, snipe, moustache and bearded reedling.
This beautiful hiking trail is ...
The Guisveld is a brackish peat bog where cattle farming has been carried out for centuries. Large parts of Holland and Utrecht used to consist of peat bog terraces, but over the years these have become rare. One of the last of this kind is the Guisveld! Moreover, this area has even retained the special character of brackish water peat. As a result, rare plants occur in the field, such as spoonbill, round sundew, adder tongue, reed orchid, fragrant night orchid and the royal fern.
Due to the quietness of the polder and the condition of the soil, the Guisveld is a favourite spot for various bird species. Examples include meadow birds such as the lapwing, redshank, black-tailed godwit and ruff or rare birds such as the bittern, marsh harrier, snipe, moustache and bearded reedling.
This beautiful footpath is named after Frans Mars; co-founder of Association De Zaansche Molen and Dutch painter. Nice to know is that near the Guisveld stood a windmill years ago. Today, this mill stands on the Zaanse Schans! Curious about the art of Frans Mars? Then visit the Mill Museum on the Zaanse Schans. In fact, a number of his paintings hang here.
Curious about another route through the Guisveld? Then check out the Riettoppad trail!
Important information:
- Dogs are not allowed on this route.
- The route is not accessible from 15 March to 1 August due to the breeding season.
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Starting point
Starting point Frans Marspad
1521 AG Wormerveer
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End point
End point Frans Marspad
1544 MG Zaandijk
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