Rijs

Rijs (West Frisian: Riis) is a village within the municipality of De Fryske Marren in the province of Friesland, the Netherlands.

Rijs Riis
Village
Mooi Gaasterland mansion
Location in the former Gaasterlân-Sleat municipality
Rijs Location in the Netherlands Show map of Friesland Rijs Rijs (Netherlands) Show map of Netherlands
Coordinates: 52°52′N 5°30′E
Country	Netherlands
Province	Friesland
Municipality	De Fryske Marren
Area [1]
• Total	5.42 km2 (2.09 sq mi)
Elevation [2]	1 m (3 ft)
Population  (2021)[1]
• Total	175
• Density	32/km2 (84/sq mi)
Postal code	8572[1]
Dialing code	0514

Rijs is situated on the road between Oudemirdum and Hemelum. It has approximately 170 citizens (2017).^[3] Rijs is best known for its 300-year-old planted forest which known as Rijsterbos.

History

The village was first mentioned in 1333 as Riis and means branches. It is related to a grange of the Abbey of Staveren which was demolished in 1495 by Ygo Gales Galama, a Frisian warlord.^[4][5] Rijs was located on a sandy ridge.^[5]

Huis Rijs was a stins (manor house) built in the 17th century. As part of the estate, a large forest was planted. The building was demolished in 1937,^[5] and replaced by a modern house. The forest is owned by It Fryske Gea [nl; fy] and is publicly accessible.^[6]

In 1840, Rijs was home to 95 people. In 1916, the former brickworks of Rijs was used as a refugee camp for several hundred Belgian refugees.^[7]

Before 2014, Rijs was part of the Gaasterlân-Sleat municipality and before 1984 it was part of Gaasterland.^[7]

Gallery

• 
  The garden entrance gate of Huis Rijs
• 
  Dolmen in the forest
• 
  Rijsterbos
• 
  Peace temple