Why De Borkeld stands out
De Borkeld is best known for holding the largest juniper shrubland in the Netherlands, a mosaic of heath, young woodland and bog fragments, and an unusually rich prehistoric archaeological record. The contrast between human-shaped features, including production forests and clay pits, and the surviving semi-natural heath habitats gives the area a distinctive ecological character. The site also stands out in conservation terms because the motorway A1, which crosses the region, was deliberately routed in a curve around the juniper field to protect it, and one of the early Dutch wildlife crossings was later built at this same point.
De Borkeld history and protected-area timeline
The Borkeld has been recognised as a coherent area since at least the eighteenth century, when it was already mentioned together with the neighbouring locality of Look. Industrial activity in the area goes back to this same period: there was already a tile works in the eighteenth century, using local loam to produce bricks and roof tiles that were traded across the Twente region.
In the twentieth century, large parts of the Borkeld were afforested, with the production forests established between approximately 1930 and 1950. The construction of the A1 motorway in the 1970s cut the area into two parts and brought new pressures, but conservation groups successfully argued that the route should be diverted south of Rijssen to spare the important juniper field. In 2003, an eco-bridge was built over the motorway at this same location, providing a crossing for wildlife and a parallel trail for walkers and cyclists.
Recognition of the area's archaeological value led to formal protection as an archaeological reserve, and in 1997 a number of prehistoric burial mounds were restored by the former Rijksdienst voor het Oudheidkundig Bodemonderzoek.
De Borkeld landscape and geographic character
The terrain of De Borkeld is gently undulating rather than dramatic. The highest point, the Friezenberg, rises to about 40 metres above sea level, while parts of the area drop to around 13 metres, producing a varied topography for an inland Dutch nature area of this scale.
The landscape is a patchwork of open and wooded elements. Planted production forests cover significant portions, but they alternate with open stretches of dry heath on the drier slopes and wet heath in the lower, damper zones. Small remnants of raised bog add an additional element of peatland character. The historic landweer, a low defensive earthwork, runs through the area, creating subtle linear features in the relief. The clay pits, some of them five metres or more in depth, introduce unusual vertical contrast into an otherwise low-relief terrain.
De Borkeld ecosystems, habitats, and plant life
Ecologically, De Borkeld is shaped by the interaction between coniferous production forest and the surviving open habitats. The heathlands include both dry heath dominated by heather species on drier sandy soils and wet heath in the moister hollows, while the raised bog fragments support their own specialised peatland vegetation.
The most ecologically distinctive element is the large juniper shrubland. The Borkeld holds the most extensive juniper struweel in the Netherlands, an increasingly rare habitat type shaped by grazing, soil conditions and historical land use. The deep clay pits further add to this habitat diversity, because the specific hydrological and substrate conditions inside them support a plant community that differs from the surrounding heath and woodland.
The combination of forest, heath, bog remnants, fields and clay pits gives the area a complex ecological structure, with relatively short distances between very different habitat types. This mosaic is an important reason for the area's designation as a Natura 2000 site.
De Borkeld conservation status and protection priorities
De Borkeld has been formally recognised as part of the Dutch Natura 2000 network, registered under site number 44. This status reflects the area's importance for the conservation of heathland, juniper habitats and related ecological features that have become scarce at both national and European levels. The site is managed by Staatsbosbeheer, the Dutch national forest and nature service.
A notable chapter in the area's conservation history is the protection of the juniper shrubland from infrastructure development. When the A1 motorway was built through the region in the 1970s, conservationists succeeded in having the road routed in a curve around the juniper field to avoid damage to this habitat. In 2003, an eco-bridge with a parallel pedestrian and cycle crossing was constructed at the same location, making the Borkeld one of the earlier Dutch sites where ecological connectivity across a motorway was addressed in a deliberate, structured way.
De Borkeld cultural meaning and human context
The Borkeld combines a natural landscape with a long history of human use. The clay pits that punctuate the area are the visible legacy of an eighteenth-century tile works that produced building materials for the surrounding Twente region, while the historic landweer, an old defensive earthwork, runs through the terrain and adds a layer of regional military and political history.
The area's prehistoric record is particularly rich for a Dutch inland site. Stone tools and other traces show that hunter-gatherers were active here roughly 13,000 years ago, while later prehistoric burial mounds and settlement remains dating from between roughly 6,000 and 4,000 years ago demonstrate prolonged human occupation of the same landscape. The restoration of ten burial mounds in 1997 by the former Dutch National Service for Archaeological Research reflects a continuing effort to preserve this archaeological heritage as part of the area's broader cultural value.
Top sights and standout views in De Borkeld
De Borkeld combines in a relatively compact area the largest juniper shrubland in the Netherlands, a varied mosaic of forest, heath and raised bog, deep historical clay pits with their own specialised plant communities, and a major prehistoric archaeological reserve with restored burial mounds. Its location between Markelo, Holten and Rijssen makes it an important green anchor in the landscape of the eastern Salland region, and the eco-bridge over the A1 motorway marks it as an early example of ecological infrastructure in the Netherlands.
Best time to visit De Borkeld
De Borkeld can be enjoyed year round, but the open character of the heath and juniper shrubland is most striking in late summer and early autumn, when heather is in bloom and juniper berries become a visible part of the landscape. Spring and early summer are good for birdlife and flowering plants in and around the clay pits, while autumn brings clear views across the open heath and quiet conditions for walking and cycling. Winter visits offer an open, airy atmosphere with good visibility across the gently rolling terrain. Visitors wishing to follow the marked walking and cycling routes will find conditions easiest in daylight and in moderately dry weather, as some of the tracks cross wet heath and boggy sections.
