The Pieterpad, at 500 kilometers the longest walking path in the Netherlands, is now also accessible for people with wheelchairs, mobility scooters, walkers and strollers.
The modifications to make that happen were designed by Moving Beyond Limits, a foundation dedicated to making outdoor activities possible for people with physical disabilities. The accessible route uses 84% of the original path, plus 82 kilometers of detours around stairs, steep slopes and worn-out paths.
Moving Beyond Limits director Julie Taal told press that “While many hikers naturally head for a forest path, the adventure for wheelchair users often ends at the first sandy path that is no longer the case for the Pieterpad.”
The Pieterpad is stretches from Pieterburen in the far north to the Sint-Pietersberg hill near Maastricht in the south. Designed to be completed in about 26 daily stages, it offers views of the country’s diverse rural landscapes.
