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National parks
National Parks of Drenthe! Areas where you can stretch your legs and choose how long to walk. Information on these national parks can be found below.
National Park
Dwingelerveld
In the south-west of Drenthe lies the Dwingelderveld National Park. The area is known for its large wet moors. Indeed, Dwingelderveld boasts the largest continuous wet heathland area in Western Europe. Besides the wet heath areas, you will also come across high sand ridges. Here you can mainly find junipers, woods and many fens. There are over 40 fens and some of them were even created during the ice age!
Hiking in the national park is of course possible. Over 60 kilometres have been made available for different routes; walking routes, cycling routes, family routes and running routes. You can also start at the Bezoekerscentrum Dwingelderveld, the 'Gate of the National Park'. Here you can find various interesting facts and trivia about the National Park (Benderse 22, Ruinen).
The Dwingelderveld has two flocks of sheep: the Dwingelder Schaapskudde and the Ruiner Schaapskudde. Both flocks have their own shepherd. Awesome fun! Interested in the flocks? Then drop by the sheepfolds and the shepherds will be happy to tell you more about them!
Start or end your walks with a nice cup of coffee or a delicious lunch? In Dwingeloo, 'De Brink' is not to be missed. Here you will find many terraces and restaurants. And do you know what the funny thing is? The Brink used to be the gathering place for all the cattle!
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National Park
Drents-Friese Wold
Between south-west Drenthe and south-east Friesland lies the Drents-Friese Wold National Park. The National Park is known as one of the largest nature reserves. In the year 2000, the Drents-Friese Wold was designated a Natura2000 area because it is known as one of the most beautiful and important areas in Europe. The area consists of more than six thousand hectares, comparable to ten thousand football fields, making it the second largest contiguous forest area in the country.
The National Park consists of many moorlands, sand drifts, spruce forests and winding streams. In addition, the Drents-Friese Wold is also known as the darkest stretch of mainland in the Netherlands. On a clear night, as many as twenty-nine thousand stars can be seen, while in the city around fifty stars can be seen. Definitely a must-see!
Other recommendations for this area include canoeing in Appelscha, Schaapskooi Doldersummerveld or, for example, the Belevingspad near Hoogersmilde. In short; there is plenty to experience in the Drents-Friese Wold National Park!
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National Park
Drentsche Aa
The Nationaal Park Drentsche Aa is an ancient landscape created by the proper cooperation of man and nature. There are many different plants and animals, but also many prehistoric monuments can be found in the National Park.
The Drentsche Aa is also known as 'a thousand years of culture in a range of different streams'. And that name says it all; the landscape consists of many streams running from village to village. Did you know that each stream gets a different name when it reaches the next village? For instance, one only speaks of the Drentsche Aa stream near the city of Groningen.
Drenthe's largest sheepfold with no less than 400 heath sheep can be found in the National Park Drentsche Aa. The sheepfold can be found in the Balloërveld, on the edge of the nature reserve. There is also an information board here indicating where you can find the flock that day! The Balloërveld is a heathland area of over 360 hectares.
Besides the sheepfold, several peat lakes and sand drifts, you will also find megalithic tombs! Start at the UNESCO Geopark de Hondsrug and you will encounter various traces of the Ice Age! You will encounter dolmen, cart tracks and remains of a highway from prehistoric times. This is the area from Emmen to Groningen.
Prefer to start somewhere else? The Homanshof in Anloo is also highly recommended! Here you will find the visitor centre, the national monument, of the Forestry Commission. This centre is an old farm from the eighteenth century.
Imagine yourself back in the Middle Ages, checking out the no less than 13,000-year-old monuments?