Baflo can be explored through its distinctive local history and varied routes: the Laurentiuskerk in its present form dates back to building phases around 1100 and 1250, while Rudolf Agricola and the village layout on the wierde offer other points of interest. When planning your stay, you can treat culture, walks and cycling as separate elements. This lets you choose the focus of your stay rather than turning the different options into one fixed circular route.

Village layout and routes around Baflo

Baflo was built on a wierde, with streets running like spokes towards the highest point. This distinctive village layout is also reflected in the name “Hoog en droog op de wierde” (“High and dry on the wierde”), a longer route option in Baflo. The Grunneger Taalroute offers a different focus: it takes you on a walk through Baflo where you can discover poems.

The Toalroute is described as a circular route of about five kilometres. The route description, published in 2018, leads from the Dorpshuis via the Hochhoutje, a high footbridge, and back to the starting point. Check the local signage before setting off. For comparing it with other options, the main points here are its approximate length and circular route; the Grunneger Taalroute, by contrast, focuses on discovering poems.

The “In de voetsporen van Agricola” route can also be described in practical terms: the start and finish are at the Laurentiuskerk. Listed obstacles include a bridge, some unpaved sections and a level crossing. Check route conditions before setting off. The Noorderrondritten are particularly suited to road cyclists, e-bikes and multi-day cycling trips; they can be cycled all year round. So the choice is not just about the route, but also about how you want to travel: discover poems on foot, choose a circular route or make cycling a larger part of your trip.

Laurentiuskerk, Agricola and local history

The present-day Laurentiuskerk was built around 1100 and extended around 1250. Its history also includes a bell cast by G. van Wou in 1502. Rudolf Agricola, originally named Roelof Huesman, was born in Baflo in 1443. He was one of the most important early humanist scholars of the Northern Netherlands. The Standbeeld Rudolf Agricola commemorates this versatile figure from the Northern Netherlands; the name of the “In de voetsporen van Agricola” route also draws on this historical theme.

Another glimpse into history is offered by the Verzetsmonument. It stands in the cemetery of the Dutch Reformed Church at Kostergang and commemorates nine residents who died fighting the occupying forces during the Second World War. The monument’s location and its commemoration can be considered a distinct point of cultural and historical interest alongside the story of Agricola.

Architecture and the railway station

Individual buildings also give Baflo’s architectural history definition. Nieuw Blokken is a 1929/30 rental house with an attached garage, designed by W. Reitsema. The building belongs to a regional variant of the Amsterdam School style. The house at Rudolf Agricolastraat 2 is another rental house, built around 1880. In 1923, L. Bakker & Zoon converted it into a shop with living quarters. Together, these details show different periods of construction and uses, without suggesting that the buildings share the same architectural theme.

The railway station building connects local and railway history. Baflo station opened on 16 August 1893 on the Sauwerd–Roodeschool railway line. It is the only station building on this line to Roodeschool that has been preserved, and it was designated a municipal monument in 2019.

A break with Agricolakoek

Proef Lokaal Bakkerij Rutgers is one place to stop for refreshments: there, you can enjoy coffee or tea with Agricolakoek. As services may change, check what is currently available before your visit. The connection between the bakery’s name and Agricola ties in with local history, while the routes and the village layout on the wierde offer other ways to spend your time in Baflo.

When looking for accommodation in Baflo, it helps to decide in advance what you want to focus on during your stay: local history and architecture call for different plans than poems, a circular route or cycling. You can choose from the cultural sights and routes mentioned here depending on whether you want to explore them individually or make them the main theme of your trip.

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

Back to the main travel overview: Winsum.