the sun just over the edge of a hill dotted with farm fields edged by trees

These ancient Dutch sunken roads hide stunning natural beauty

Holloways, formed by ancient streams and used for centuries by farmers and travelers, undulate through the Limburg region of the Netherlands and Belgium. But development threatens to destroy the lanes’ unique habitat.

The sun rises over the hill country of South Limburg, an unusual landscape in the otherwise low-lying Netherlands. These lanes (foreground and left), also known as holle wegen, form a green network among farm fields where unique flora and fauna thrive.

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