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Tij: a unique bird hide

A giant wooden egg crammed with natural wonders

The Haringvliet is home to a unique bird hide, a special place where you can experience the delta’s natural beauty at first hand. Tij is a giant, 7-metre-tall, egg-shaped bird hide that is reached via a tunnel. The access route and Tij itself provide a myriad of natural spectacles. Inside the Tij, you will be afforded some fantastic views across the wide expanse of the Haringvliet and a rich array of birdlife.
The hide is designed in the shape of a sandwich tern’s egg. The islands of the Haringvliet and the coast off Scheelhoek are home to large colonies of sandwich terns. In spring you can often see parent terns flying in with fish in their beaks to feed to their young. There are many other coastal birds that can be seen here too, such as common terns, spoonbills and great white egrets. And if you’re fortunate enough, you might just see a majestic white-tailed eagle poised above the water. The hide houses a telescope which can transform a spectacular sight into a truly sensational experience. Tij is a unique piece of ecologically constructed architecture.

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Plan your visit to Tij here

After visiting Tij, why not go to the place where the river meets the sea at Kwade Hoek?

Vogelobservatorium 'T IJ ontwerp RO&AD architecten en RAU met houten Zollinger-constructie
Vogelobservatorium 'T IJ ontwerp RO&AD architecten en RAU met houten Zollinger-constructie
Vogelobservatorium 'T IJ ontwerp RO&AD architecten en RAU met houten Zollinger-constructie
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tij
Screenshot 2019-07-09 at 10.10.26
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Tij as a starting point

Zoet of zout

At the crossover point between freshwater and saltwater you’ll find the restaurant of Zoet of Zout. The view from the patio and through its floor-to ceiling windows offers breathtaking vistas across the Haringvliet, the dam and the sluices. It’s just a ten-minute walk to Tij from here. www.zoetofzout.nl

A Seal

Sick seals or pups who have lost their mothers are rescued and affectionately cared for at A Seal. Want to see how? If so, check out the sanctuary and become a seal carer for the day. www.aseal.nl

Stellendam fish dock

Fishing boats bring their catches into port and then the sorting, weighing and auctioning begins! It’s well worth seeing and while you’re there, check out the auction too. There are guided tours of the fish dock every Friday in summer. More info

View of the Haringvlietdam

Close to Tij, at the Stellendam marina is Restaurant Loef. It has a magnificent view of the Haringvliet dam and the sluice gates. The latter enable salmon and other migrating fish to follow the river upstream from the sea to their spawning grounds. www.restaurantloef.nl/

Goereese Duinen cycle route (31 km)

This trail takes in coastal dunes and the nature reserve of Kwade Hoek. This is where the sea water encroaches inland though narrow channels and creeks. It provides a stark contrast with the impressive Haringvliet dam which can also be viewed here from the seaward side. Start at the TOP in Stellendam. More info

More nature of the Dutch Delta

NLDelta consists of a joined-up system of flourishing nature reserves. The water-rich ‘jungle’ of the Biesbosch is a unique freshwater-tidal zone, with a network of creeks, islands and morasses… Read more

In quest of beavers in the Biesbosch

  • Europe’s largest rodent
  • Searching for traces
  • Excursions
More info

Wetland in the low countries

  • White-tailed eagle and osprey
  • Free rein for the river
  • Cycling
More info

Canoeing in the Biesbosch jungle

  • A small piece of Amazonia
  • Beavers and lodges
  • Adventurous paddling
More info

Tiengemeten. An (almost) uninhabited island

  • Ramble
  • Away from the civilised world
  • Marshy grasslands full of water birds
More info

Holland National Parks

Holland National Parks reveals the unique natural history in the Netherlands. There are few places in the world today where nature is so diverse within such a small area. Nowhere has the interaction between water and land and between nature and mankind been so clearly present and ingeniously harnessed as here.

 

Visit the website

Holland National Parks

Holland National Parks reveals the unique natural history in the Netherlands. There are few places in the world today where nature is so diverse within such a small area. Nowhere has the interaction between water and land and between nature and mankind been so clearly present and ingeniously harnessed as here.

 

Visit the website

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More special activities

  • UNESCO World Heritage The Windmills of Kinderdijk
  • Biesbosch MuseumEiland. Dry feet and wet earth
  • Dordrecht, city in the delta
  • Historic trail of discovery
  • William of Orange’s fortified town

  • Tij: a unique bird hide
  • In quest of beavers in the Biesbosch
  • Wetlands in the low countries
  • Canoeing in the Biesbosch jungle
  • Tiengemeten. An (almost) uninhabited island

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